Runway AI video generator: what Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0 can do

What is Runway AI

Runway is a US company that builds video models and editing tools. Its models have gone from Gen-2 and Gen-3 to the current flagship, Gen-4.5, released on December 1, 2025.

At launch, Gen-4.5 took first place on the Artificial Analysis Text-to-Video leaderboard with 1,247 Elo points — ahead of Veo 3 (1,226), Kling 2.5 (1,225) and Sora 2 Pro (1,206). Newer models have come out since, and on Arena as of September 21, 2026, Gen-4.5 ranks 27th of 48.

Runway is building an ecosystem around Gen-4.5:

• Aleph 2.0 — a model for editing finished videos with text and keyframes, in the API since June 2, 2026;
• Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo were retired in July 2026 and replaced by Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0;
• GWM Worlds and Runway Characters — real-time world models and talking characters.

What Runway Gen-4.5 can do

Complex instructions in one prompt. Runway’s help center singles out Gen-4.5’s key skill: in one prompt you can lay out camera choreography, scene composition, event timing and changes in atmosphere, and the model will carry them out in sequence.

Physics and facial expressions. Runway claims realistic object physics, complex scenes with multiple elements and detailed facial expressions.

From photorealism to animation. Gen-4.5 covers a wide range of styles — from cinematic shots to cartoons.

Image-to-video. In Image to Video mode, the image sets the composition and the prompt describes only the motion. The aspect ratio defaults to the image’s.

Professional output. On the Max plan, you can export a clip straight to ProRes or a PNG sequence for 5 extra credits per second.

Parameter	Value
Input	text, or text + image
Duration	2–10 seconds
Resolution	720p (16:9 — 1280 × 720, 21:9 — 1584 × 672)
Frame rate	24 or 25 fps
Cost at Runway	12 credits per second

What Runway is good for

• Cinematic shots with deliberate camera movement: flyovers, push-ins, angle changes within one clip.
• Editing and post-production — ProRes and PNG sequences for professional editors.
• Editing finished video — with Aleph 2.0: change the weather, an object or the style.
• Animation and stylization — Gen-4.5 handles realism and cartoons equally well.

Runway vs. alternatives

	Runway Gen-4.5	Kling 3.0	Veo 3.1	Seedance 2.5
Developer	Runway	Kuaishou	Google	ByteDance
Duration	2–10 s	up to 15 s	4, 6 or 8 s	up to 30 s
Resolution	720p	720p, 1080p	up to 4K	not disclosed by the developer
Sound	not mentioned in Runway’s Gen-4.5 docs	yes	yes	yes
Arena rank (Sep 21, 2026)	27	29 (2.6 Pro)	23 (Veo 3)	7

Gen-4.5 is the model for people who care about precise camera work and professional output. If you need a clip with sound, longer than 10 seconds or in 4K, Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0 and Veo 3.1 are stronger, and Gemini Omni sits at the very top of the leaderboard.

How to write prompts for Runway

Runway’s help center gives a simple rule: write in clear, direct language.

• Text-to-video — describe both what’s in the frame and the motion.
• Image-to-video — describe only the motion: the model takes everything else from the image.
• Use camera terms: dolly in, orbit, crane up, handheld. Runway has a separate camera-terms glossary with examples.
• List events in order, and for several actions pick a duration closer to 10 seconds.

How to use Runway in AI2Face

Runway is available in the AI2Face generator, no Runway subscription needed. You can run one prompt on Runway, Kling, Veo 3.1 and Seedance and compare the results. The cost of each generation is shown before you run it, you can pay by card or crypto, and credits from packs don’t expire. New accounts get welcome credits after signing up.

Limitations

• Cause and effect. Runway admits that in some clips the effect happens before the cause.
• Object permanence. Objects can suddenly vanish from the frame.
• Success bias. The model tends to show an action succeeding even when the prompt describes a failure.
• 720p and up to 10 seconds — less than today’s leaderboard leaders.

Bottom line

Runway Gen-4.5 is a mature model for cinematic clips with precise camera choreography, professional ProRes output and a separate editing model, Aleph 2.0. It was the best on the leaderboard at launch, but by fall 2026 it had been overtaken by models with sound and longer clips — Gemini Omni, Seedance, Wan 3.0 and MiniMax H3. Choose Runway when camera work and editing matter, and compare it with the leaders on the same prompt — in AI2Face, that’s one click.