Runway ML: AI video generator Gen-4 released
Yet another new video model: after Adobe Firefly, OpenAI Sora and Kling AI, Runway ML, the pioneer of AI-generated clips, has also updated its online video generator. The New York City-based company has been developing generative AI since 2018. The company released the first generation of the video generator in February 2023.
The technical specifications have not changed for the time being. Prompts are limited to a maximum of 1000 characters with Runway ML Gen-4. The length of generated clips is either 5 or 10 seconds. The model produces videos in 16:9 with 1280 x 720 pixels, 1:1 with 960 x 960 pixels, 4:3 with 1104 x 832 pixels and 21:9 with 1584 x 672 pixels. Aspect ratios of 3:4 and 9:16 are also possible. The frame rate is 24 fps in each case.
Consistent objects and characters
The manufacturer promises to be able to precisely generate characters, locations and objects across scenes. The model should maintain the environment of a scene coherently and preserve the style, including the lighting conditions. In particular, it should be able to animate characters in uploaded reference images consistently.
An update that maintains more consistency is sorely needed: Runway Gen-2 in particular still changed people and objects significantly over the course of a video. In Gen-3, fingers, limbs and objects still merge.
Runway ML Gen-2 still had difficulties maintaining consistency with people from reference images. The new model should perform better here in particular.
Problematic training data
Unlike Adobe Firefly, for example, which was trained exclusively with content from reproducible sources such as Adobe Stock, Runway ML may not be commercially viable without restrictions.
The training data for Gen-3 comes from YouTube videos and pirated films, according to the website 404 Media. This was reported by a former Runway employee. According to the report, the company downloaded the videos with youtube-dl via proxy servers in order to avoid being blocked by YouTube. A prompt with the name of a popular YouTuber actually generated videos in his style.
Prices and availability
Runway ML can be tried out once free of charge. Users receive 125 credits; the videos are marked with watermarks. In the cheapest subscription for 10.83 euros per month, Runway grants 625 credits. Runway ML charges 12 credits per second of videos generated with Gen-4, i.e. 60 credits for a five-second video clip. This means that around ten such videos are created in a month.
(akr)
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This article was originally published in
German.
It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.