Over the past couple of months, we’ve overviewed each of the individual races here at “Tech Support.” Over the next few weeks, most places will be previewing – and posting their reactions towards – the many precursor awards coming up. Obviously, I’ll be doing that for the guilds. But the fact of the matter is the influence on the tech races of these earlier awards bodies is not all that consequential.

So over the next couple of weeks, I personally plan to do a few different things, and today I’m going to do something a little personal – and make pleas for some favorites who need all the help they can get.

These aren’t necessarily contenders with no chance. In fact, I expect all of them to garner, at the very least, precursor attention of at least some sort. But these candidates will also need all the help they can get to make it across the finish line come Oscar time.

So without further adieu, my personal pleas…

BEST ART DIRECTION
“World Trade Center” (Jan Roelfs; Beth Rubino)

I must confess that I did not find Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” to be an overwhelming experience. But the production design nevertheless managed to accomplish a truly amazing thing: become a character in the movie. Not only did the work seem frighteningly realistic, it trapped the characters both physically and emotionally as we watched the story unfold around them.

Alas, contemporary films are seldom nominees in this category. “Men in Black” and “Gattaca” (by Roelfs himself) were both nominated in 1997, but were quite fantastical, so we’d probably have to go all the way back to 1996’s “The Birdcage” for such a precedent. Roelfs also deserved a nod for Stone’s “Alexander” as far as I’m concerned, but the reaction to that film did in his chances. Let’s hope the setting of “World Trade Center” does not keep him and set decorator Beth Rubino out this year.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Good German” (Peter Andrews, a.k.a. Steven Soderbergh)

I’m not sure if this contender is even eligible due to the issue of the pseudonym (EDITOR'SNOTE: It seems to have more to do with the cinematographers having issue with Soderbergh being a one-man-crew, thereby snubbing his work in this category.) But even if eligible, the branch is awfully protective of their own. No director has been nominated for lensing their own film (whereas they have scored in the music and editing categories).

And that’s a damn shame. Because the cinematography of “Andrews” is so unique, so appropriate as homage, yet also so ultimately film-serving and memorable, that it really deserves recognition. Here’s hoping against hope that a nod somehow comes to fruition.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Devil Wears Prada” (Patricia Field)

If you think the art directors are resentful of contemporary films, get a load of the costume designers. Not since “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (all the way back in 1994) has a film set in the present been nominated here. But if anyone can buck this trend, it just might be Patricia Field for “The Devil Wears Prada”.

Not only are Field’s threads showcased front-and-center in the film, they also play an integral role in the plot. And Field is no stranger to awards for her television efforts on “Sex and the City” (she has four Costume Designers Guild awards and an Emmy for such work). We’re still talking about a contemporary film in “The Devil Wears Prada,” so my fingers will have to remain absolutely crossed.

BEST FILM EDITING
“United 93” (Clare Douglas, Richard Pearson, Christopher Rouse)

This might seem like a sure thing. Incredibly showy, memorable, unique and film-serving work in one of the most acclaimed films of the year. The editors’ branch, however, is known to closely mirror the Best Picture race with their picks. “United 93” is the sort of film that will really struggle to garner traction in the top categories, and none of these three editors have earned Oscar love prior to this.

BEST MAKEUP
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Martin Samuel, Ve Neill)

Again, this might seem to be a sure bet. But as I pointed out in the Best Makeup column a few weeks ago, it is also the sort of work that could be deemed ineligible on account of the computerized Davy Jones character, while other makeup is awfully similar to the first film. I nevertheless consider the makeup effects in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” to be the best of the year. So I really hope the branch gives Neill and Samuel the nod, paving the way to a win.

BEST MUSIC – ORIGINAL SCORE
“Babel” (Gustavo Santaolalla)

Gustavo Santaolalla’s venture into feature films has been one of the great treats of film music this decade. “21 Grams,” “The Motorcycle Diaries” and “Brokeback Mountain” have all been wonderfully scored films in unique ways, truly embracing the attitude of “less is more.”

Santaolalla followed up this year with another low-key but beautiful, range-filled and film-serving score for “Babel”. But the fact remains that his music is not necessarily traditional Oscar fodder and, having just won, the Academy might not feel they owe him anything.

BEST MUSIC – ORIGINAL SONG
“I Need to Wake Up” (Melissa Ethridge, “An Inconvenient Truth”)

Famous writer. Fantastic song. Great campaign behind it. Suiting to one of the most acclaimed films of the year.

So why am I bothering tossing this title out? Because there is no precedent for a documentary being nominated in this category. I’m inviting the music branch to make history here.

BEST SOUND MIXING
“Cars” (Gary Summers, Tom Myers)

Two years ago, the sound branch did something they hadn’t done in 12 years by nominating an animated film in this category. And they nominated TWO of them – “The Incredibles” and “The Polar Express”.

This year, we were treated to another exquisite sound mixing job on an animated film. The work on John Lasseter’s “Cars”, blended many types of sound effects, dialogue and mention the well-chosen musical soundtrack, to fantastic, memorable and film-serving effect. So here’s hoping that two years ago wasn’t just a fluke.

BEST SOUND EDITING
“Monster House” (Dennis Leonard)

The sound effects on “Monster House” were scary, zany, fun and film-serving. With five nominations in this category this year, one might expect this could find a home among the eventual nominees. But the film remains low-key and did not really catch on with the public in a big way.

Dennis Leonard did receive a somewhat surprising nomination two years ago in this category, however, so here’s hoping. (The great Randy Thom might share the nomination with him, as he did on “The Polar Express,” but the credits on the film do not make this clear.)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Fountain” (Dan Schrecker, Jeremy Dawson)

I found the script for Darren Arronofsky’s “The Fountain” to be so poor that the movie could not rise above it. Visually, however, the film is a treat. Aronofsky’s unique integration of effects had no “look at me” CGI characters or moments where the effects overwhelmed the audience. Yet they were beautifully and seamlessly integrated to tell the story he wanted to tell. Creative understatement can often be the best choice.

Alas, the film has more or less flopped with both critics and audiences, and this is the category where films that “pay the bills” find their home more than anywhere else. It’s going to have a very tough struggle for a nomination.

Within the next week, we’ll see nomination announcements from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. My favorite two awards-giving bodies, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, also give out their awards. Lots will happen between now and the next column. But before the madness truly hits us (if it already hasn’t), at least I’ve made my case for some favorites in need of help.