The crafts categories at the Oscars can be analyzed in many ways. It is possible to observe tendencies, whether they are related to famous individual artists, predispositions to gravitate towards Best Picture nominees, or the fact that box office flops are usually avoided.

But perhaps one of the most noted trends is the dominance of the period piece. I can still remember when I was first watching the Oscars, and the award for Best Costume Design was being presented. My father remarked, “It’s so much harder to design something that is real.” I’m not sure I totally agree with this assessment given that the past provides a template from which someone can already work and an artist’s imagination does not start from scratch. I personally consider the best crafts accomplishments to be those which contribute to the story and make the film better, regardless of the time they are attempting to convey.

However, it certainly must be conceded that, in the period piece, there is an inherent need for accuracy, while also contributing to the mood and feel of the film. This is not to mention that fashioning period through crafts automatically draws attention to itself, given that we do not see the era depicted in day-to-day life, if we have seen it at all.

The costume design category is, without a doubt, the most extreme example of this. Fantasy nominees admittedly pop up with some frequency. And last year actually boasted two contemporary nominees (“The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Queen”). But they were the first two contemporary nominees in the category in a dozen years!

I should add that I do not consider “The Queen” anything but a contemporary film. A cut-off date for what is “period” is admittedly arbitrary, unless we stay very strict and declare anything in the past to be period – which I don’t think is in accordance with the spirit of the term. Personally, I would say anything taking place within the past generation is better deemed contemporary.

While a spot or two in the Best Art Direction category is often reserved for a fantasy film, period films dominate there as well, with detail to a past time creating immense opportunities for a production designer and his or her team. (“Amelie” is the only truly contemporary film nominated this decade – and even that film is fantastical in a sense.)

Predictably, the Best Makeup category also tends to embrace work which brings characters, often historical figures, into past times. Fantasy and other outrageous accomplishments (see “Click”) do tend to find a home with some regularity, however.

What may be somewhat surprising is that Best Cinematography is another category where period pieces reign, with only three nominated films this decade taking place after the 1960s. The creation of a period through camera work clearly appeals to this branch. Even in the Best Original Score category, it is possible to observe that the majority of nominees are period pieces.

Categories such as Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects are not so dominated by period films. But given the number of prestigious action films in the past (“Master and Commander,” “Road to Perdition”), not to mention the number of musicals and war films that are period, it is possible to see these categories also lending favoritism to period films. And many fantasy efforts combine period elements (as is seen in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise), so these films, too, can fall into both period and fantasy categories.

As for Best Film Editing, it has such a strong correlation to the Best Picture category that period films are frequently represented. Though of all the technical categories (excluding the consistently inconsistent Best Original Song award), merely being a period film is probably least advantageous.

So what does that mean for this year? To put it simply, it means keep your eyes on the period films!

Joe Wright’s “Atonement” and, assuming it does not bomb, Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” seem to have the most obvious makings of across-the-board tech behemoths. Both have noted crafts artists, are somewhat epic in scope and should present opportunities for the craftspeople to show their range. But many more possibilities remain.

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” presents one of three superb cinematographic opportunities this year for the great Roger Deakins, while also giving Patricia Norris – pulling double duty in both the costume and art departments – her best chance to return to the race since the 1980s.

If well-received, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” ought to be considered, at the very least, for Robert Elswit’s photographing early 20th century oil wells against the backdrop of western America. Additionally, the production design from Sissy Spacek’s hubby Jack Fisk and costumes from Mark Bridges will strive to bring the audience into another era with clarity and accuracy. (Both Bridges and especially Fisk could be considered due for first-time recognition.)

Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and Adam Shenkman’s already seen “Hairspray” both represent opportunities to craft the past while also being the sort of big, brassy musicals often loved in the tech categories (with Best Sound Mixing being no exception).

James Mangold’s “3:10 to Yuma” is a remake and not traditional Oscar bait, but nevertheless it has been very well-reviewed. Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” seems to have potential to be the auteur’s best effort in a while, if also not traditional AMPAS fare.

Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” being an NC-17-rated foreign-language film with not-so-favorable reviews will likely spell its own doom. But Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography still looks gorgeous. Ed Lachman has also received very fine notices for his work on “I’m Not There,” even if people seem hesitant to embrace the film completely. It also must be considered in the makeup and sound mixing categories, at the very least.

Despite being somewhat forgettable, “Becoming Jane” ought not to be totally ruled out of the costume design category. And should they garner any traction whatsoever, “Children of Huang Shi” and “Love in the Time of Cholera” have the makings of tech contenders (though considering their total lack of buzz and status as small films, color me a tad skeptical). Ditto for “The Other Boleyn Girl,” though its release date seems to be in question now.

And we also must not forget “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” – certainly a period film, with great chances across the board, particularly in Best Visual Effects and in the sound categories.

Out of breath yet? We’re just getting warmed up, but many of these films may crash and burn, and there will be no shortage of potential nominees to fill the five or three slots per category. But given past years’ characteristics and this year’s current slate, I’m still sure we’ll be seeing many a period piece this year at the Oscars.