1. A method for developing finished media content from an input visual image sequence, the input visual image sequence containing a visual representation of one or more visual objects, the method comprising the steps of: (a) analyzing portions of the input visual image sequence to derive a scene model in three spatial dimensions with respect to a three-dimensional object space by performing the steps of: (i) defining a common three-dimensional object space; (ii) defining an image-based data object containing a segmented pixel representation corresponding to a portion of at least one frame of the input visual image sequence within the three-dimensional object space; (iii) defining an abstraction-based data object containing an abstract model for at least a portion of one of the visual objects contained in the input visual image sequence within the same three-dimensional object space; (b) defining a choreography specification for the finished media content that includes a specification for how the data objects are to be used in creating the finished media content; (c) selecting an image-based data object to be modified and accepting user input parameters modifying how the selected image-based data obiect is to be used in the choreography specification for generating the finished media content; (d) selecting an abstraction-based data object to be modified and accepting user input parameters modifying how the selected abstraction-based data object is to be used in the choreography specification for generating the finished media content; (e) generating a two-dimensional (2D) visual image of the finished media content from the choreography specification, scene model, at least one pixel representation, and at least one abstract model; and (f) iteratively refining the finished media content by performing certain selected ones of steps (a) through (e) in an order as selected by user input until the finished media content is of acceptable finish quality.