The Oscar Narrative: Post-Festival Predictions - Technical Categories

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins "Blade Runner 2049"
Hoyte van Hoytema "Dunkirk" 
Dan Laustsen "The Shape of Water"
Steve Yedlin "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Edward Lachmann "Wonderstruck"

Other Contenders - Bruno Delbonnel "Darkest Hour", Paul Thomas Anderson "Phantom Thread", Seamus McGarvey "The Greatest Showman", Rachel Morrison "Mudbound", Linus Sandgren "Battle of the Sexes", Sayombhu Mukdeeprom "Call Me By Your Name", John Mathieson "Logan", Anthony Dod Mantle "First They Killed My Father", Ben Davis "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", Matthew Jensen "Wonder Woman", Tobias A. Schliessler "Beauty and the Beast", Vittorio Storaro "Wonder Wheel", Ben Richardson "Wind River", Masanobu Takayanagi "Hostiles", Dion Beebe "The Snowman", Dariusz Wolski "All the Money in the World", Michael Seresin "War for the Planet of the Apes"

Best Costume Design
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
The Greatest Showman
Murder on the Orient Express
Victoria and Abdul

Other Contenders - Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film, Wonderstruck,The Beguiled, Blade Runner 2049, Mudbound, Wonder Wheel, Dunkirk, Battle of the Sexes, The Shape of Water,  Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Wonder Woman, The Post, The Death of Stalin, Suburbicon, Marshall, Hostiles, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Glass Castle, Breathe, Call Me By Your Name, Ladybird, Detroit, Goodbye Christopher Robin

Best Film Editing
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Post
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Other Contenders - Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Get Out, Wonder Woman, Battle of the Sexes, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Mudbound, The Greatest Showman, Logan, Wonderstruck, Wonder Wheel, Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film, Victoria and Abdul, Detroit, War for the Planet of the Apes, I, Tonya, Hostiles, All the Money in the World, Stronger, Downsizing, Last Flag Flying

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
The Greatest Showman

Other Contenders - Logan, The Shape of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Dunkirk, The Beguiled, All the Money in the World, Wonder, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Battle of the Sexes, Victoria and Abdul, I Tonya, Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film, Thor: Ragnarok, Wonderstruck, Detroit, Hostiles, It, The Post, Logan Lucky, Justice League, mother!

Best Original Score
Dario Marianelli "Darkest Hour"
Alexandre Desplat "The Shape of Water"
Thomas Newman "Victoria and Abdul"
John Williams "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Hans Zimmer "Dunkirk"

Other Contenders - John Williams "The Post", Carter Burwell "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", John Debney, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul "The Greatest Showman", Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer "Blade Runner 2049", Michael Giacchino "War for the Planet of the Apes", Michael Giacchino "Coco", Carter Burwell "Wonderstruck", Marco Beltrami "Logan", James Newton Howard "Detroit"

Best Original Song
I will wait till the contenders list is released, this category always has surprises left off or included.

Best Production Design
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049\
Darkest Hour
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Other Contenders - Murder on the Orient Express, Victoria and Abdul, The Greatest Showman, Dunkirk, Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film, Wonder Wheel, Battle of the Sexes, Mudbound, The Post, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Logan, Thor: Ragnarok, Marshall, Call Me By Your Name, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Justice League, Detroit, War for the Planet of the Apes, Hostiles

Best Sound Editing
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Logan
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman

Other Contenders -  The Shape of Water, Justice League, Beauty and the Beast, Detroit, Battle of the Sexes, The Greatest Showman, Get Out, War for the Planet of the Apes, Coco, Transformers: The Last Knight, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Baby Driver, Atomic Blonde, The Post, Mudbound, Hostiles, Kong: Skull Island, Darkest Hour, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Thank You For Your Service, Mudbound, Okja, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Murder on the Orient Express

Best Sound Mixing
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman

Other Contenders - The Shape of the Water, Justice League, Logan, Detroit, Battle of the Sexes, The Greatest Showman, Get Out, War for the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Coco, Transformers: The Last Knight, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Baby Driver, Atomic Blonde, The Post, Mudbound, Hostiles, Kong: Skull Island, Darkest Hour, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Thank You For Your Service, Mudbound, Okja, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Murder on the Orient Express

Best Visual Effects
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes
Wonder Woman

Other Contenders -  Justice League, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, Thor: Ragnarok, Kong: Skull Island, Okja, Life, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Murder on the Orient Express