How to Use Runway Gen 2 to Create Professional-Grade Videos

Runway is a powerful AI video generator with three models - Gen 2, Gen 3 Alpha, and Gen-3 Alpha Turbo. Each one of these offers access to a unique set of video creation features and tools but NONE more so than Gen 2.

For this reason, we will take the time to explore the platform's Gen 2 AI model in this detailed guide. This means breaking down its extensive features, how to use it, its various advantages, etc. Without wasting any time, let's dive right into it!

What Is Runway Gen 2? 

Runway Gen-2 is an advanced AI video generation model that enables users to bring any visual ideas to life with minimal technical expertise. Whether you want to produce animated shorts, cinematic sequences, or social media clips, this AI model lets you create videos from simple text prompts or images.

In this respect, the biggest highlight of the Gen-2 model is its rich palette of features and intuitive controls that include text-to-video generation, image-to-video generation, camera control, motion brushing, and more.

By leveraging these tools, you can produce custom high-resolution video clips of up to 4 seconds in length for countless use cases.

What Features Does Runway Gen-2 Offer?

Runway Gen-2 comes with several features and capabilities that even Gen 3 Alpha and Turbo lack. Let's explore them in detail below.

• Text-To-Video Generation: Runway Gen-2 helps you create videos with simple text prompts. Using advanced AI algorithms, it analyzes what you need before visualizing a short video clip. The more detailed the instructions, the more precise the output will be.

• Image-To-Video Generation: This feature helps you bring static images to life in just a few clicks. Simply upload the photo(s) as a starting point and Runway Gen-2 will animate it by adding realistic movements and unique effects to any existing image subjects, backgrounds, or objects.

• Motion Brush: Runway Gen-2 has a motion brush tool that is unavailable on Gen-3 Alpha and Gen-3 Alpha Turbo. It lets you paint over certain areas in the video and add fluid motion dynamics in any specific direction. This means you don't need any professional editing skills to animate movement in your videos.

• Camera Control: This is a unique feature that Gen-3 Alpha lacks, which lets users adjust the video's camera movements in a wide range of directions to suit their desired needs. You can control aspects like zoom, pan, tilt, roll, and more with the added benefit of free previews.

• Unique Visual Styles: Unavailable on Gen-3 Alpha, Runway Gen-2 provides over 30 preset visual styles that let you create unique videos with different aesthetic appeal. These include claymation, anime, isometric 3D, impressionist, and several others.

• Lip Sync: This feature lets you produce vocal character videos that are in sync with uploaded audio clips or written scripts. In doing so, you can create accurate footage with subject speech patterns that look and sound 100% realistic.

How to Use Runway Gen-2?

Generating videos using Runway Gen-2 is a relatively simple process that even a first-time user can follow with little to no hassle. You can check out the steps below to get started.

Step 1: Register For An Account

To start, you can head to the Runway platform and click 'Get Started'. This will lead you to the sign-up page to create a new account. Once complete, you will be able to sign in and head to the user dashboard.

Step 2: Start A New Session

Once you're on the user dashboard, you will need to navigate to the left menu and scroll down to 'Generative Session'. Alternatively, you can click on the 'Start A New Session' icon. From there, you will need to scroll down the page and select the 'Gen-2' AI model.

Step 3: Text-To-Video Generation 

Once the session starts, you must input a detailed text prompt to begin the video generation. Always be as detailed as possible by specifying details like camera angle, scene, characters, etc. You can also click the 'Suggest Text Prompt' button if you need some ideas.

Step 3.5: Image-To-Video Generation 

The other alternative option is uploading a still image. The platform will be able to analyze the various elements in the photo and produce a dynamic video with it. However, keep in mind that you will still need to input a detailed text prompt to get more precise output.

Step 4: Adjust Video Settings 

Before you complete the generation process, Runway Gen-2 has several video editing options for you to choose from. Some of the key options available include:

• Camera Control: You can use this to adjust camera-like motions in the video. The tool offers 6 different movements that include horizontal, vertical, tilt, zoom, pan, and roll.
• Motion Brush: This lets you paint over certain areas and set specific motion directions. There are different brushes and you can adjust elements like ambient, proximity, vertical, etc.
• Custom Style: This option allows you to choose between different aesthetic video styles. However, it is typically unavailable for image-to-text generation.
• Aspect Ratio: This lets you adjust the video size. You can choose between 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, and 21:9. However, this option is only available for text-to-video generation.

Step 4.5: Extra Settings 

The Gen-2 model also comes with other extra settings to help you customize your video output. These include:

• General Motion: You can use it to alter the video's motion intensity. You can raise it or lower it but keep in mind that higher values will mean more motion.
• Resolution: This lets you choose between 720p or 2K resolution. However, the higher the resolution, the longer the video's generation time will be.
• Prompt Weight: This feature allows you to alter how much the tool abides by your text prompts. However, this only applies to preview images.
• Fixed Seed: This enables you to replicate the same results across multiple video generations. You can copy the seed and reuse it in another session.

• Interpolate: You can utilize this to smooth out the video frames and achieve better transitions in your output.


Step 5: Generate/Download Your Video

Once you're done making changes, you can scroll down and select your desired duration before clicking the 'Generate' button.

Within minutes, the platform will produce and save the video in the 'Assets' folder. As shown in the example above, you can choose to upscale the video or download it in MP4 or GIF formats.

Step 6: Initiate Further Editing

If you want to edit the video output further, you can click on the 'Actions' button and select between the numerous options available. You can choose to extend the video, access the lip sync feature, switch to video-to-video generation, edit the video further, expand the aspect ratio or upscale it to 4K resolution.

Tips On Using Text Prompts On Runway Gen-2

Regarding text-to-video generation, it is essential to always be as direct and easy-to-understand as possible. This means:

• No using overly conceptual language or phrasing.
• Avoid any command-based language.
• Always use positive phrasing. This means describing what should happen not what shouldn't happen.

In addition, a good rule of thumb to follow is to structure your prompts using this basic format: [camera movement]: [establishing scene]. [additional details].

A good example of this in action would be: Low angle camera view: Woman in red dress with high black heels walking on a fashion runway. Paparazzi camera flashes in the background.

Best Practices For Image-To-Video On Runway Gen-2?

When it comes to utilizing images, it is always good practice to use simple and direct text prompts to explain what kind of movement you want to see in the final video. This means you don't need to describe the image contents. Furthermore, you should never input a text prompt that differs from the input image to avoid unpredictable results.

Another best practice to consider is combining motion control with camera movement. This is a great way to add broad camera perspective adjustments and achieve more expressive video output. You should also remember that complex visual scenes may require you to make multiple changes to achieve the desired result.

How is Gen-2 Better Than Gen-3 Alpha and Gen-3 Alpha Turbo?

Runway introduced its Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo models to act as a major upgrade to its Gen-2 model. However, there are several differences between them that are worth considering before generating videos. For starters, Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo allow users to generate longer videos of up to 10 seconds while Gen-2 is limited to 4 seconds.

Moreover, Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo accept text prompts, image uploads, and even existing video clips, whereas Gen-2 is only limited to text inputs and images. In addition, Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo models have an improvement in visual fidelity, consistency, and motion compared to the Gen-2 model. They are also faster at generating videos than Gen-2.

On the other hand, Gen-2 offers more features in comparison to the other two models. You have access to various tools such as motion brush, camera control, lip sync, and custom styles. Naturally, this provides you with far greater flexibility and customization options in your video creation workflow.

In addition, Gen-2 allows you to upscale video resolution up to 1408 × 768px, whereas Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo models are limited to 1280x768px resolution. All in all, it's safe to say that while Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo do offer improved visual performance, Gen-2 is the better option for anyone who needs more versatile functionality when generating videos.

To help you compare at a glance, please check the table below:

Experience Gen-2, Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo on Pollo AI/

If you would prefer an alternative to Runway, then you can't go wrong with Pollo AI. This is a state-of-the-art AI video generator that also allows users to generate high-quality video using descriptive texts, images, or even existing videos.

But the best thing about Pollo AI is that it is integrated with several platforms including Runway (Gen-2, Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo), Luma Dream Machine, Kling AI, Pixverse AI, Hailuo AI, and more. In other words, you can access all these powerful AI video generation models in one convenient place.

Besides that, it lets users customize their videos by adjusting various settings like aspect ratio, camera movement, video length, etc. It also supports video generation up to 1080p resolution and encapsulates a wide range of visual styles such as cinematic videos, stylistic animations, and more.

Most importantly, Pollo AI is free to use. This makes it accessible to any budget-limited user out there. Try Pollo AI fo/r FREE now!

FAQs

How long does it take to generate a video with Gen-2?

Runway's Gen-2 model is relatively quick to produce videos. It can typically generate a quality video within minutes but keep in mind that this can vary depending on the prompt's complexity and your device's processing power.

Does Gen-2 produce royalty-free videos?

Yes. Runway AI allows users to generate videos that can be used commercially making it a viable solution for creating promotional videos, marketing content, advertising videos, and more. However, you should always double-check licensing terms to be safe.

Is Runway Gen-2 available on the free plan?

Yes. You can access Runway's Basic plan for free and use it to generate videos using its Gen-2 model. Just keep in mind that any videos created on the Basic plan can't be upscaled and will typically come with watermarks.

Do I have to sign up for Runway AI to use Gen-2?

No. You can choose to use Pollo AI and access the Runway Gen-2 model from there. This makes it easier to generate videos using different AI models with the added benefit of not having to subscribe to Runway AI's pricing plans.

Conclusion

Runway's Gen-2 AI model is a versatile solution for any user looking to create quality videos with access to a wide range of advanced customization options. While the Gen-3 Alpha and Turbo models are newer, Gen-2 still has more to offer making it a reliable choice for both beginners and professionals alike. However, feel free to check out Pollo AI to access Runway AI and other equally advanced AI models in one place now!