Here's a brief tutorial on what the process is like. It helps to understand that Hitfilm works in layers, like Photoshop, and that the layers can be 3D or 2D. Any 3D layer must have a camera active. The tutorial doesn't really get into that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l8WBbSdRQkA static non-human model, like the X-wing fighter they use in the demo, is not hard to animate in Hitfilm. You can also import animations for more complex models, and have walking figures and the like. I haven't explored it, because it involves getting familiar with their camera and lighting system, and I prefer to concentrate on learning Iclone. But because of the awesome compositing, effects and particle capabilities in Hitfilm, it might be worth learning it for some kinds of shots.
I'm no kind of expert on Hitfilm, but I like it because it seems a good mid-range program that can be used by an amateur like me to really boost visual effects to a higher level. It does require some time spent learning how to use it, and can be tricky and frustrating as any complex software can be. But it also has a lot of presets that can be used pretty quickly after learning the interface.
