Runway’s new AI photo frames are here

AI media technology provider Runway Announced the launch of Frames, the latest text-to-image conversion model Winning early praise of users to produce very cinematic images – which is a fitting compliment given that Runway is known primarily as an AI-powered video model provider. Could Frames unseat Midjourney as the go-to choice for AI filmmakers and artists?

Announced in November 2024the frames were initially made available to select Runway Creators Program ambassadors and power users over the past few weeks.

As of today, it’s available to everyone Runway’s unlimited and enterprise subscription plans, Which costs $95 per month / $912 when paid annually or, in the case of the Enterprise plan, $1,500 per year. The company also posted a showcase of new images created by tire users on its website hereunder the name “Tire worlds“.

Users can create still images using it Runway location in app.runwayml.com — if they’re on the appropriate plan — then with one click, use the photos as the basis for movies created using Runway’s photo-to-video templates like Third generation Alpha Turbo.

According to Runway, Frames provide an advanced level of stylistic control and visual precision, making them a versatile tool for industries such as editing, art direction, pre-visualization, brand development, and production.

As Cristobal Valenzuela, co-founder and CEO of Runway, wrote in an article Posted on social network X: “Frames are designed from the ground up for professional creative work. If you work in editing, art direction, pre-shooting, brand development, production, etc., this template is for you.

Valenzuela also noted that the model’s prompting system allows for precision and depth, enabling users to achieve accurate, natural, and cinematically composed results.

Users seem to agree with @GenMagic writes on X: “Very high quality, lots of control with style, and you can move your photos right down the runway super fast. I was craving some 90s mall nostalgia, and Frames did not disappoint.

Or as Developed by userAIandDesign: “Damn @runwayml Frames is absolutely crazy. I can’t stop.”

Creativity meets consistency

Frames allow users to design worlds with specific viewpoints and aesthetic properties. Its ability to maintain stylistic consistency while offering wide-ranging creative exploration sets it apart from previous models, which are often more random and “roll the dice” in terms of user experience.

Using frames, users can create a distinct visual identity for their projects and reliably create variations that stay true to them This specific style.

In addition to enabling custom stylistic designs, frames at launch come with a library of 19 pre-defined visual styles that users can select and customize further:

1. Alive

2. Warm and lively

3. Cool and lively

4. High contrast

5. High warm contrast

6. Cool high contrast

7. Black and white

8. Black and white contrast

9. Muted pastels

10. Dreamscape

11. Lower north

12. Light anime

13. Dark anime

14. Drawing anime

15. 3D cartoon

16. Drawing

17. Low angle

18. In motion

19. Clay

These worlds showcase the wide range of creative possibilities offered by Frames, making them an ideal tool for artists, designers, and filmmakers looking for stylistic precision.

Designed for creative professionals

The frameworks offer many improvements designed specifically for professional users.

The model excels at rendering advanced textures, natural lighting, and complex textures, providing more flexibility and moving away from the rigid outputs of previous image generation models.

This release marks the first release of Frames, and Runway has outlined a clear roadmap for future updates, including more design tools and controls.

Safety and ethical considerations

Runway continues to prioritize safety and ethical responsibility in its generative AI tools. As part of the company Foundations of safe generative media Initiative,Frames includes powerful content moderation features to prevent,misuse.

The company’s internal visual moderation system detects and blocks harmful or inappropriate content, striking a balance between creative freedom and safety.

To address concerns about misinformation and abuse, Frames embeds invisible watermarks in all AI-generated content. These watermarks comply with provenance standards set by the Alliance for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), allowing users to track whether a media item was created by artificial intelligence.

Additionally, Runway is committed to improving equity and representation in its generative models. Efforts have been made to reduce bias in visual output and support diverse demographics and languages.

However, Runway remains party to a lawsuit filed by human artists who accuse the company and others like Stability AI and Midjourney of training on their artwork without permission, in violation of copyright. case, Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd. (3:23-cv-00201)remains unresolved at the moment, but is making its way through the courts.