The rise of the independent film industry is being driven by the ready availability of inexpensive tools. In the past, the results achieved when consumer-level equipment was so far below professional standards that achieving quality without a large bankroll was impossible. That situation, thankfully, is changing.
The increasing power and low cost of desktop computers has allowed not only non-linear editing by the masses, but also access to the tools of pro-grade special effects. The 3D tools needed to produce photo-realistic images are available at little to no cost. One new specialized tool in the "no-cost" range is DAZ Studio, which can be downloaded from the DAZ 3D Web site.
DAZ is best known for producing realistic human figures for Curious Labs' Poser software. As a major supplier of content for Poser, they have also emerged as a broker for other third-party developers of Poser content.
The question arises, then, of how to leverage all of this content to increase profitability (in other words, "How can we make more money with this stuff?"). The answer? Create a piece of software that uses the content, give away some basic content for free, then hope that users will pay to download additional content.
Since DAZ is building on an established content base (and not just human figures - people, animals, clothing, props, complete environments and more are available), there is quite a selection. In particular, I've been looking at the medieval town and castle construction kit, as well as some sci-fi objects for a future project.
Now, as a photorealistic 3D environment, DAZ Studio might not be the best choice (though export to other 3D tools is a feature), but it can certainly play a role in previsualization. There's a link below to an article in millimeter magazine that outlines the importance that previs has assumed in modern filmmaking. For this use, DAZ Studio is a very nice tool. You may need to purchase some additional content to reach its full potential, but it's well-suited to the task.
Finally, by way of warning, since DAZ initially made a name for itself by producing highly realistic human figures, it seems like a certain segment of their users are enamored with the idea of having a virtual woman to dress up in lingerie and revealing "warrior woman" outfits. If this is likely to be offensive to you, I recommending NOT following the link to the DAZ Web site. Some of the content is definitely PG-13 in nature
DAZ Productions - 3D Models, 3D Content, and 3D Software
Populist Previz
