Using Runway AI means describing the video you want, and getting it back as a generated clip or an edit to footage you already have.

Runway is one of the best-known names in AI video, and its models run inside Picsart alongside the rest of the leading video lineup. Runway covers both sides of the workflow: generating new clips from a prompt or an image, and editing real footage in context without a timeline. This guide covers what Runway AI is, which model in the lineup to reach for, and exactly how to create your first clip on Picsart, step by step.

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What is Runway AI?

Runway is an AI video company whose models both generate video from scratch and transform footage you already have. In Picsart, that split is the key to understanding Runway: some models create a brand-new clip from a text prompt or a still image, while others edit real footage in context, changing only what you describe and keeping the rest of the scene intact. Most AI video tools do one or the other. Runway, inside Picsart, gives you both approaches on a single subscription.

The generation side turns prompts and images into photorealistic motion with nuanced camera and lighting. The editing side, led by the Aleph models, reads the lighting, motion, and objects in your footage and applies a natural-language change without masks, keyframes, or reshoots. Because the whole Runway lineup sits next to models like Veo, Kling, and Seedance in Picsart, you can generate a clip with one model and refine it with another without leaving the workspace.

The Runway lineup in Picsart: which model for which job

Runway is a family of models, so the first step is matching the model to the task. The table below maps each Picsart Runway model to what it is built for.

Model Type Best for
Runway Gen 4.5 Text to video Photorealistic motion at 1080p with nuanced camera and lighting
Runway Gen-3 Alpha Turbo Image to video Fast, controllable motion with start and end frame interpolation
Runway Aleph 2 Video to video In-context editing and restyling of real footage with keyframe guidance
Runway Avatar Text to video Speaking avatar videos with natural lip-sync
Runway Gen4 Ref Image A still image from up to three references with consistent identity

A simple rule of thumb: reach for Gen 4.5 to generate a new clip from a prompt, Gen-3 Alpha Turbo to animate a still image, and Aleph 2 when you want to edit footage you already shot rather than create something new.

How to use Runway AI on Picsart, step by step

Creating with Runway on Picsart takes six steps and no setup. The exact flow depends on whether you are generating a new clip or editing existing footage, but it starts the same way.

  1. Open the AI Playground. Head to the Picsart AI Playground, where the full Runway lineup sits with the other video models. To edit real footage, open the Picsart AI Video Editor instead.
  2. Select a Runway model. Choose based on the job: Gen 4.5 to generate from text, Gen-3 Alpha Turbo to animate an image, or Aleph 2 to edit a clip.
  3. Add your input. Write a prompt for generation, upload a still for image-to-video, or upload the footage you want to change for in-context editing.
  4. Describe what you want. For a new clip, describe the scene and camera move. For an edit, describe the single change in plain language, such as “change the jacket to red.”
  5. Generate. Run the model. Runway produces your clip or applies your edit where it is relevant, keeping the rest of the scene as it was.
  6. Refine or export. Chain another edit or adjust the prompt to get exactly the version you need, then export from the Picsart AI Video Generator.

Generate your first Runway clip: a worked example

Learning Runway is easiest with a concrete run. Suppose you want a cinematic establishing shot. Open the AI Playground, select Runway Gen 4.5, and enter a prompt like: “Aerial drone shot flying over a misty pine forest at sunrise, soft golden light breaking through the fog, slow forward motion, cinematic color grade.” Set your duration and a 16:9 aspect ratio, then generate.

Runway returns a photorealistic clip with smooth camera motion. Now try the editing side. Take a short product video you already have, open the Picsart AI Video Editor, select Runway Aleph 2, and type “make it golden hour.” Aleph 2 relights the footage while keeping the product, motion, and background intact. Running both a generation model and an editing model on the same idea shows you exactly where each one fits.

How to write Runway prompts

How you prompt Runway depends on whether you are generating or editing, and the two call for different instincts. For generation, write like a director framing a shot. For editing, write like an editor giving one clear note.

  • For generation, describe the shot. Name the subject, the camera move, the lighting, and the mood in a single specific sentence, the same way you would brief a camera operator.
  • For editing, describe one change. Aleph 2 works best when you ask for a single, clear edit like “change the background to a city street” rather than a list of changes at once.
  • Use references for identity. When a character or product needs to stay consistent, add reference images so the model matches it across the clip.
  • Set start and end frames when using Gen-3 Alpha Turbo to control exactly how the motion begins and ends.

What you can create with Runway AI

Because Runway spans generation and in-context editing, it covers a wide range of real production work inside Picsart.

  • Cinematic clips from a prompt with photorealistic motion, camera moves, and lighting from Gen 4.5.
  • Animated stills, bringing a single image to life with controllable motion using Gen-3 Alpha Turbo.
  • Edited real footage, changing a product color, relighting a scene, swapping a background, or adding and removing objects with Aleph 2, and no reshoot.
  • Speaking avatar videos with natural lip-sync for explainers and talking-head content.

Aleph 2 handles longer edits, up to 30 seconds at 1080p, and can carry a change across the cuts of a multi-shot video, which makes it practical for finished ads and social posts. See the full set on the Picsart video models page.

Common Runway mistakes to avoid

  • Mixing up generation and editing. Use Gen 4.5 to create a new clip and Aleph 2 to change existing footage. Reaching for the wrong one is the most common misstep.
  • Vague generation prompts. “A cool video” gives the model nothing. Name the shot, the motion, and the light.
  • Asking for too many edits at once. Aleph 2 is most precise with one change per pass. Chain edits instead of stacking them.
  • Skipping references. If identity or brand consistency matters, add reference images rather than hoping a text description holds up.

Tips for the best results

  • Match the model to the task using the lineup table before you start, so you are not fighting a tool that was built for a different job.
  • Edit in context for real footage. When you already have a clip, Aleph 2 preserves the original motion and lighting better than regenerating from scratch.
  • Change one thing per edit pass so each result is predictable and easy to build on.
  • Compare Runway with other models in the AI Playground, running the same idea through Runway and a model like Veo 3 to see which fits the shot.

 

Frequently asked questions

Runway is an AI video company whose models generate video from prompts and images and edit real footage in context. In Picsart, the Runway lineup includes Gen 4.5 for text to video, Gen-3 Alpha Turbo for image to video, and Aleph 2 for editing existing clips.

Start creating with Runway AI on Picsart

Runway lets you generate a new clip from a prompt and reshape footage you already shot, all in one place. Open the Picsart AI Playground, choose the Runway model that fits your shot, and create your first clip, then refine it until it is exactly what you need.

Start creating with Runway AI on Picsart →