What Is Runway Gen-4?
Runway Gen-4 is a model released in 2025 that sets a new standard in AI video generation. Compared to previous generations, it offers much more consistent motion, realistic physics simulation, and superior visual quality. It has become the industry reference tool, especially for cinematic content production.
Key features of Gen-4: - Up to 10 seconds of seamless video generation - Advanced camera control (pan, tilt, zoom, dolly, crane) - Consistent character appearances - Realistic light and shadow simulation - Scene transitions with multi-prompt support
You can compare Runway with other video tools on [tasarim.ai](https://tasarim.ai).
Getting to Know the Gen-4 Interface
When you log into Runway, find the "Gen-4" option in the left menu. On the main screen, you will see three basic modes:
1. **Text to Video:** Generates video from text description 2. **Image to Video:** Animates an uploaded image 3. **Video to Video:** Stylizes or transforms existing video
Each mode has advanced settings in the right panel: duration (4-10 seconds), camera motion, style presets, and seed control.
Cinematic Video Production Techniques
Use these techniques to produce professional-level cinematic videos with Gen-4:
### Camera Motion Control In Gen-4, you can specify camera motion directly in the prompt: - "Camera slowly dollies forward" — slow forward movement - "Crane shot rising above the city" — upward crane movement - "Steady tracking shot following the subject" — stable tracking shot - "Camera orbits around the subject 180 degrees" — orbiting around subject
### Light and Atmosphere Lighting descriptions dramatically affect video quality: - "Golden hour backlight with lens flare" — golden hour backlighting - "Moody Rembrandt lighting" — dramatic single-direction light - "Neon-lit cyberpunk environment" — neon-lit environment - "Soft overcast daylight" — soft cloudy daylight
### Motion Physics Gen-4 excels in physics simulation: - "Hair flowing naturally in the wind" — natural hair movement - "Water splashing in slow motion" — slow-motion water splash - "Fabric billowing gracefully" — graceful fabric movement - "Smoke rising and dissipating" — smoke rising and dispersing
Advanced Prompt Templates
**Cinematic Establishing Shot:** "Cinematic establishing shot of [location], [camera motion], [lighting condition], [atmosphere], film grain, anamorphic lens, 24fps"
**Portrait Video:** "Close-up portrait of [person description], [expression/motion], [lighting], shallow depth of field, cinematic color grading, natural skin tones"
**Product Showcase:** "Product hero shot of [product], [camera motion], [lighting], reflective surface, commercial quality, clean background, smooth rotation"
**Nature and Landscape:** "Epic [landscape type] at [time], [weather], [camera motion], drone cinematography, HDR, National Geographic quality"
Gen-4 Workflow
Here is the workflow we recommend for a professional video project:
1. **Prepare a storyboard:** Write a plan describing each scene in 1-2 sentences 2. **Generate reference images:** Create reference visuals for each scene with Midjourney 3. **Use image-to-video:** Upload reference images to Gen-4 to animate them 4. **Generate variations:** Create at least 3 versions for each scene 5. **Select the best:** Evaluate based on quality, motion consistency, and atmosphere 6. **Edit:** Combine scenes with DaVinci Resolve or CapCut 7. **Add audio and music:** Select appropriate music from Epidemic Sound or Artlist
Camera Control Comparison
We tested different camera movements and reached these conclusions:
- **Dolly (forward-back):** Most consistent result, minimal artifacts - **Pan (left-right):** Good results, effective in wide scenes - **Tilt (up-down):** Medium consistency - **Orbit (revolving):** Impressive but risk of artifacts in complex scenes - **Zoom:** Prefer dolly over digital zoom; looks more natural - **Static:** Least artifacts; ideal when you want subject motion to take center stage
Gen-4 Limitations and Solutions
While Gen-4 is a powerful tool, it has some limitations:
- **Human hands:** Still the weakest point. Solution: try not to include hands in frame or use wide angles - **Text generation:** Creating text within video is unreliable. Solution: add in post-production - **Long durations:** More than 10 seconds is not possible in a single pass. Solution: generate scenes separately and edit - **Consistency:** Maintaining the same character across different scenes is difficult. Solution: use reference images with image-to-video
Frequently Asked Questions
**How many credits does Gen-4 use?** A 10-second video costs approximately 10 credits. The free plan offers 125 monthly credits (about 12-13 videos). Standard plan ($24/mo) offers 625 credits, Pro plan ($76/mo) offers 2250 credits.
**What is the difference between Gen-3 and Gen-4?** Gen-4 offers significant improvements in motion consistency, camera control, and overall visual quality. It is particularly better at human figures and physics simulation.
**Should I prefer image-to-video or text-to-video?** We recommend image-to-video for consistent and controlled results. Text-to-video is useful for exploration and experimentation. For professional projects, we typically generate images with [Midjourney](https://tasarim.ai/kesfet) and animate with Gen-4.
**What about commercial usage rights?** Paid plan users can use their generated videos commercially. The free plan does not include commercial usage rights.