Runway, the AI startup that helped develop the AI image generator Stable Diffusion, launched its first mobile app yesterday to give users access to Gen-1, its video-to-video AI model. The app is currently only available on iOS devices.
With the new app, users will be able to record a video from their phone and create an AI video in minutes. They can also convert any video they have in their library using text prompts, images, or style presets.
Users can choose from Runway’s menu of presets like “Cloudscape,” or transform their video to look like a clay drawing, charcoal drawing, watercolor art, origami paper and more. You can also upload a photo or write an idea in the text box.
The app will then generate four previews for you to choose from. Once you select the product you like the most, it will take a few minutes to produce the final product. We tested the app ourselves and found that it took about 60 seconds or more. Sometimes it takes 2 minutes to create.
Of course, as with any AI generator, the results aren’t perfect and often look distorted or odd-looking. In general, the concept of AI video generators may seem silly and perhaps even gimmicky. But it’s easy to see how cool it could be as technology evolves over time.
Meta and Google have launched text-to-video generators, called Make-A-Video and Imagen, respectively.
Regardless, we found the Runway mobile app to be easy to use and generally fun to tinker with.
Below is one example we came up with, using a Michael Scott clip from “The Office.” The text prompt we entered was a “realistic dummy”.
(Warning: the result is terrifying.)
We also tried “3D Animation”, which turned out just fine.
There are certainly some other caveats besides glitches and distorted faces.
If users want the free version, there is a limit of 525 credits, and they can only upload five-second videos. Each second of video uses 14 credits.
Co-founder and CEO Cristobal Valenzuela told TechCrunch that in the future Runway plans to add support for long-form videos. He added that the app will continue to improve and launch new features.
“We’re focused on improving efficiency, quality, and control. In the coming weeks and months, you’ll see all kinds of updates, from longer deliverables to higher-quality videos,” Valenzuela said.
Also note that the app does not produce nudity or copyrighted work, so you cannot make videos mimicking the style of the popular IP.
Runway’s new mobile app has two premium plans: Standard ($143.99 per year) and Pro ($344.99 per year). The Standard plan gives you 625 credits/month and other premium features like 1080p video, unlimited projects, and more. The Pro plan offers 2,250 credit points/month and all 30+ Runway tools.
A month after Runway released its Gen-1 version—launched in February—Runway introduced its Gen-2 model. Arguably a step up from the text-to-image Stable Diffusion and DALL-E models, Gen-2 is a text-to-video creator, so users can create videos from scratch.
Valenzuela told us that Runway is slowly starting to release closed beta access for the second generation.
The app currently supports Gen-1, however, Gen-2 will soon be available along with Runway’s other AI tools, such as the image-to-image generator.
Runway has developed several AI-powered video editing software since its launch in 2018. The company has a variety of different tools within its web-based video editor, such as frame interpolation, background removal, blur effects, and a feature that cleans or removes audio and motion tracking, Among many other things.
The tools have helped content creators and even film/TV studios reduce the time spent editing and creating videos.
For example, the visual effects team behind Everything Everywhere at Once used Runway technology to help create a scene in the movie where Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and Joy (Stephanie Hsu) are in a multiverse where they’re turned into animatronic rocks.
In addition, the graphics team behind CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” used Runway to reduce editing hours to just five minutes, according to art director Andrew Buneta.
Runway also operates Runway Studios, its entertainment and production division.