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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001773 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEThe Lord of the Rings Title Card
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001773

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, the first installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, filmed entirely in New Zealand. The teaser trailer that preceded it became a cultural event in its own right, building enormous anticipation for a project many doubted could be realized on screen. Its release marked a turning point for fantasy filmmaking, proving that Middle-earth could be brought to life with scale and seriousness rarely attempted before in the genre.

This cell preserves the card bearing the film's name as it appeared in that early promotional reel, the moment audiences first saw the words announcing the saga's arrival. Trailer and title card frames like this one are prized by collectors precisely because they mark a threshold, the instant a franchise introduces itself before a single scene has played. As a piece of promotional film history, it stands apart from frames drawn from the finished feature, capturing anticipation itself rather than narrative.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm positive release print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring trailer

Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
Not visible in this capture; the area beside the picture frames is obscured by the decorative border overlay
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image renders as deep black with saturated golden yellow title lettering, no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture
Picture
Positive image; three consecutive frames each showing the same title-card composition, consistent with a trailer title sequence for the film on record
Era check
The clean positive print with neutral base is consistent with a 2001-era release print, though soundtrack type cannot be confirmed from this capture
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 000063633
Original Film Capture As received
The film strip as photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size