Visual effects have, in many respects, been at the forefront of a change that has been occurring in cinema since “Star Wars,” where the increasingly sophisticated methods of filmmaking technology are becoming ever more important to the perception of quality in film. The increasingly expensive aspect of filmmaking is, as I noted in my column last year, perhaps most appreciated by the general public and the sole crafts medium on which a studio might try to sell a movie outright.

The Academy Award for visual effects is chosen in a manner different than every other category except makeup. The branch does not vote directly for five nominees. Rather, a list of seven finalists is announced (usually in late December, though occasionally in early January) and a committee will then screen the work and three nominees will be named on nomination morning.

This truly is the category where blockbusters rule the day. Unlike other categories, where prestige often carries the torch, the visual effects branch rewards the money-making studio efforts. This is seen in the fact that summer films usually form the majority of the nominees in the category. Last year, in fact, they formed all three. One of the reasons I am discussing this category so early this year is that we have seen so many of the contenders already. (Including, in my opinion, the three nominees, but we’ll get there in a minute.)