This year’s nominees include Doctor Strange and Rogue One.

I’ll never forget the scene in Jurassic Park where we get our first glimpse of the incredibly-realized dinosaurs. It’s one of the most jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring moments in film history, and the film overall took movie magic to a whole new level. It’s the sort of movie, a groundbreaking pioneer in the world of visual effects, that the Oscars have been honoring every year since 1938.

Well actually, the Academy began celebrating visual effects 10 years prior, in 1928, but back then the category was defined as “Best Engineering Effects.” The award has evolved over the years, but the goal has always remained the same: highlight the movie released each year that had the most stunning visual effects. In the past, films like Aliens, Total Recall, and Ex Machina have dominated the category; and this must-watch new video highlights all the big winners.

Said its creator, Burger Fiction:

For the 1927/28 Academy awards, the award was for engineering effects. There was no award again until 1938 where it was called a special award “for outstanding achievement in creating special photographic and sound effects.” The very next year the award was combined with sound effects and called the Award for Special Effects. It wasn’t until 1963 that the award became the Award for Best Visual Effects (which it is still called today). It was given every year from 1963 to present, with the exception of 1973.

This year’s Oscar nominees have been announced! So time to update our VFX award video from last year. We have added the winner from last year, this year’s nominees, and a whole bunch of great updates throughout the video entirely. Enjoy!

Just how much have visual effects evolved over the years? This video does a pretty damn good job of showcasing that evolution, using the most state-of-the-art films to do so. Enjoy.