Updated: 2026-05

1. About This Page

This article provides an overview of what Runway is and where it stands in the field of video-generating AI as of 2026. In class, students will start with this page and then move on to the hands-on session in Section B (Getting Started).

2. What is Runway?

Runway is a commercial video-generation AI platform. It is a web service operated by Runway AI, Inc., a New York-based startup, and runs entirely in a web browser.

• Input: Text, images, and video
• Output: Video (primarily 5–10-second clips; Aleph also supports editing existing videos)
• Strengths: Realistic physical representation, consistent character portrayal, precise camera control, and integrated editing features
• Access: Via browser at runwayml.com. No installation required

Alongside Sora 2 and Veo 3.1—the top-tier commercial models—it is one of the leading video-generation AI systems, standing out particularly for its ease of integration into video production workflows.

3. Major Model Families (as of May 2026)

Runway is not a single model, but an integrated environment comprising multiple models designed for specific purposes.

Model	Role	Notes
Gen-4 Video	Flagship T2V / I2V	Highest quality, 120 credits per 10 seconds
Gen-4 Video Turbo	High-speed I2V	Lightweight, 50 credits per 10 seconds. Available in Free plan
Gen-4.5	Director Mode Support	Camera control sliders, 120 cr
Aleph	Video-to-Video Editing	Edit existing videos using text instructions (Releasing July 2025)
Act-One / Act-Two	Character Animation	Transfer webcam performances to any character
Lipsync	Audio to Lip-Sync	Synchronize text-to-speech or audio files with mouth movements

In addition, you can access models from other providers directly within Runway. Veo 3.1 (Google), Kling 3.0 Pro, Seedance, FLUX, Seedream, and more—you can try out multiple video-generation AI tools across different platforms with a single subscription.

4. The Current State of Commercial Video-Generating AI

As of May 2026, the top commercial frequency bands are as follows:

• Sora 2 (OpenAI) — Accessible via ChatGPT. High physical consistency
• Veo 3.1 (Google) — Accessible via Gemini Pro / Workspace. On par with Sora 2
• Runway Gen-4.5 / Aleph — Highly integrated into editing workflows
• Kling 3.0 Pro (Kuaishou) — Chinese-made, relatively affordable
• Hailuo 02 (MiniMax) — Chinese-made, excels in responsiveness

Each model has its strengths and weaknesses, and selecting the right one for the task at hand will be the norm in 2026. Runway is particularly chosen for the following:

• Cinematic shots that require precise camera control
• Projects that require the same character to appear in multiple shots
• Workflows where you want to complete the entire “generation to editing” process within a single tool

5. Differences from Open Source

Runway is closed-source—the model itself is not publicly available and can only be used via a web service.

• ✓ High quality and stable physics simulation
• ✓ Sophisticated UI that lets you focus on production
• ✗ Internal parameters cannot be adjusted (e.g., number of steps and samplers are hidden)
• ✗ Costs money (credit-based system)
• ✗ If the service is discontinued, past output workflows cannot be reproduced

Open-source systems (such as Wan, LTX, and Hunyuan Video) have the opposite characteristics. The two are not competitors but rather complementary, so a practical approach is to use open-source systems for research and experimentation, and Runway for production output.

6. The Role of Video Prototyping

In this course, we will use Runway as a tool for video prototyping.

• It is not intended for creating finished commercial videos
• It is a tool used during the planning stage of media art projects to demonstrate what the final video will look like
• Quickly create rough prototypes using AI → Review as a group → Iterate rapidly to make improvements

Speed—getting a prototype up and running quickly to test it—is more important than the quality of the final product. By the time of the final screening for this course, each group will have completed a short prototype on Runway.

7. Course Scope

The course will cover the following:

• Account Creation and Plan Management (B-1)
• UI Tour and Initial Generation (B-2, B-3)
• Prompt Design, Camera Control, and References (C-1–C-3)
• Shot Planning, Character Consistency, In-Runway Editing, and Audio (D-1–D-4)
• Limitations and the Next Model (F-2)

During the practical training phase, set this material aside and let each group create their own designs freely.

8. What’s Next

• Accounts & Plans — Find out what you can do with the Free plan
• Interface Tour — Runway’s interface layout
• First Generation — Your first text-to-video