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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001774 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-000001774

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, adapting the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy under Peter Jackson's direction. The film's arrival, alongside its accompanying teaser trailer, marked a turning point for large scale fantasy filmmaking, proving that a dense, mythic saga shot in New Zealand could anchor a global blockbuster franchise. The trailer campaign itself became a cultural event, building anticipation across a fanbase that had waited decades to see Middle-earth realized on screen.

This cell preserves a title card frame from that trailer, the moment the film's name appears before general audiences, separate from any character or scene footage. Collectors prize title card cells because they mark the introduction point of a franchise rather than a narrative beat, functioning as a piece of promotional history rather than story. As a strip from the theatrical trailer reel, it represents the raw celluloid used to build excitement ahead of release, a tangible artifact from the marketing apparatus that helped launch one of cinema's most enduring adaptations.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release trailer print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

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 torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A fine dotted or dashed line is visible just below the picture area suggesting a DTS timecode stripe; a variable-area optical track region appears along the lower edge, though fine detail is limited at this size
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image renders deep black with saturated gold lettering, showing no visible fading or colour shift
Projection history
Light horizontal weave lines visible in the lower portion of the strip, consistent with evidence of projection; no splices or cue marks seen
Picture
Positive image; all three frames show the same title-card composition, consistent with a trailer title hold rather than a continuous action sequence; the title logo matches The Lord of the Rings branding on record
Era check
The combination of a positive release print, DTS timecode line, and optical track area is consistent with a 35mm theatrical trailer print from the 2001 release period
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 000063634
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