MOVIELilo & Stitch - 'The Little Mermaid' Promotional Movie Trailer
SCENEStitch Surfing
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2002
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001617
FILM NOTES
Walt Disney Feature Animation released Lilo & Stitch in 2002, a mid-budget experiment that broke from the studio's fairy tale mold in favor of a watercolor-backdrop story about family and Hawaiian life. It arrived during a transitional period for Disney animation, sandwiched between the waning hand-drawn era and the coming dominance of computer animation, and it found lasting affection for its odd-couple pairing of an alien fugitive and a lonely girl. Promotional materials tying the film to Disney's classic library, such as pieces referencing The Little Mermaid, were part of a marketing push connecting the new release to beloved predecessors.
This cell centers on Stitch, the genetically engineered creature whose destructive charm made him an instant merchandising phenomenon and a favorite among collectors of Disney animation art. Surfing was one of his defining activities in the film, tying him to the movie's island setting and easygoing energy. As a trailer cell, this piece comes from promotional material meant to entice audiences before release, distinct from the finished film's production cells, and often prized for its role in a film's early marketing history.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Lilo & Stitch promotional material circa 2002.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track analog stripe; Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks are also visible in the gaps between the perforations on that same edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight cyan-blue tint consistent with a modern safety stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible running through the picture area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot and the character and setting are consistent with the animated film on record.
Era check
The combination of a cyan-tinted safety base, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside an analog optical track, and the positive print format is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063461
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
