Runway Gen-3 Video AI - In depth Test and Review

Olivio Sarikas
4 Jul 202418:36

TLDRThe video review explores Runway Gen-3, an AI video model in its alpha stage, highlighting its strengths in creating stunning landscape and drone flight scenes, as well as its limitations with complex human movements. The reviewer showcases various test results, from impressive time-lapse and lip-sync videos to less convincing animations. Despite some inconsistencies, the model's cinematic potential is evident, with a focus on visual consistency and artistic effects. The review also touches on pricing plans and the model's current limitations, suggesting its potential for creators with a clear vision.

Takeaways

  • 😀 The video discusses the Runway Gen-3 Video AI, comparing it to Sora and highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
  • 🔍 The Gen-3 is currently in alpha and accessible only to paid customers, with limited settings compared to the full version of the CH 2 model.
  • 🎨 The Gen-3 model excels at creating timelapse videos and drone flight scenes, especially with landscapes and cityscapes.
  • 🔥 It is particularly good at rendering fire and smoke effects, although the smoke direction can sometimes be inaccurate.
  • 🤔 The model struggles with complex human motion, particularly when limbs are moving quickly or in intricate ways.
  • 🎼 A unique feature of the Gen-3 is its ability to perform lip sync, demonstrated in a video example.
  • 🎬 The model can create dreamlike and cinematic scenes, sometimes with a surreal quality that can be seen as a feature rather than a flaw.
  • 🎹 It is surprisingly adept at animating musical performances, such as a girl playing the violin or a person playing drums, despite some inconsistencies.
  • 🌆 The model handles close-up videos of faces very well, maintaining consistency and detail that can appear realistic.
  • 💡 Text effects in the Gen-3 are consistent and can create visually appealing results, although the text length is limited.
  • 💰 The pricing for the Gen-3 is on the higher side, with different plans offering varying credits for video creation, reflecting the cost of processing power required.

Q & A

  • What is the current status of Runway Gen-3 Video AI?

    -Runway Gen-3 Video AI is in its alpha version, available for paid customers only, and is still in the testing phase.

  • What are some limitations of the Runway Gen-3 Video AI alpha version in terms of settings?

    -The alpha version has limited settings, including only one resolution option (720p), a fixed or random seat setting, and the ability to remove the watermark. It lacks many of the advanced settings available in the CH 2 model.

  • What features does the full version of Runway's CH 2 model offer that the Gen-3 alpha version currently lacks?

    -The full version of the CH 2 model offers features like camera control, motion brush, selection of different styles and ratios, and the ability to save custom presets, which are not yet available in the Gen-3 alpha version.

  • What are some strengths of Runway Gen-3 Video AI according to the testing?

    -Runway Gen-3 Video AI excels in creating timelapse videos, drone flight scenes, and landscapes, providing high-quality and cinematic visuals that are often convincing and detailed.

  • What are some weaknesses or areas for improvement in Runway Gen-3 Video AI that were identified during testing?

    -The model struggles with complex human motion, especially when limbs move quickly, and it sometimes produces anatomical inaccuracies or inconsistencies in character movements.

  • Can Runway Gen-3 Video AI perform lip sync?

    -Yes, Runway Gen-3 Video AI can perform lip sync, as demonstrated in the video where it synchronizes mouth movements with the audio 'hello my friends how are you doing'.

  • What is the pricing structure for using Runway Gen-3 Video AI, and what does it include?

    -The standard version offers 625 credits per month, which may be limited for creating 10-second videos. There is also an unlimited plan for $76 per month, which allows for unlimited image creation but may take longer to render. A pro version with 2250 credits per month is also available.

  • What kind of video effects does Runway Gen-3 Video AI excel at creating?

    -The model is particularly good at creating text effects, which are consistent and visually appealing, even with different fonts and lighting conditions.

  • How does the reviewer perceive the potential of Runway Gen-3 Video AI for creative projects?

    -The reviewer sees significant potential in Runway Gen-3 Video AI for creative projects, citing the example of the Sora music video creator who gained international fame, indicating that the model offers unique opportunities for those who can effectively utilize its capabilities.

  • What is the reviewer's final verdict on Runway Gen-3 Video AI's alpha version?

    -The reviewer finds that while the alpha version can create beautiful videos, especially landscapes and drone scenes, it is not yet ready for widespread use due to the number of mistakes it makes. They would not personally pay for it at this stage but acknowledge its potential for those with a clear plan for its use.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Runway Gen 3 Alpha Testing Overview

The script introduces the Runway Gen 3 model, an AI video generation tool in its alpha stage. It's currently accessible only to paid customers and offers limited settings compared to its predecessor, the Gen 2 model. The narrator discusses the testing process, the capabilities of Gen 3, and its shortcomings. The alpha version's interface is basic, with options for prompt input, length setting, and preset saving. The narrator also compares it to Gen 2, which offers more customization options, such as resolution, seed, interpolation, and camera control. The video showcases the Gen 3 model's proficiency in creating time-lapse videos and its ability to do lip sync, despite some minor errors in reflection and animation consistency.

05:01

🏞️ Gen 3's Strengths in Landscape and Drone Shots

This paragraph highlights the Gen 3 model's strengths in generating landscape and drone flight videos. The model excels in creating detailed and consistent scenes, such as a motorcycle driving through a neon city at night, a time-lapse with stars and a fire in real-time, and a transition from Victorian London to neon Tokyo. The script also touches on the model's ability to handle close-up videos of faces with high detail and cinematic lighting. However, it also points out the model's struggles with complex human movements and the occasional need for multiple attempts to achieve satisfactory results.

10:03

🔥 Gen 3's Fire and Apocalyptic Scene Rendering

The script delves into the Gen 3 model's performance in rendering fire and apocalyptic scenes. It showcases the model's ability to create visually stunning and cinematic shots, such as a tsunami wave crashing into a city and a drone flying into a wave tunnel. The model handles fire effects well, although there are occasional inaccuracies in smoke direction. The paragraph also includes first-person scenarios, such as a roller coaster ride and a water park, which, despite some inconsistencies, maintain an overall dreamlike quality that the narrator finds appealing.

15:03

💰 Pricing and Potential of Runway Gen 3

The final paragraph discusses the pricing plans for the Runway Gen 3 model, mentioning the standard version with 625 credits per month and the unlimited plan at a higher cost. The narrator acknowledges the high processing costs due to the model's capabilities and GPU time. They conclude with a verdict on the Gen 3 alpha version, praising its potential for creating beautiful videos, especially in landscape and drone scenes, while also recognizing its current limitations with complex human motion. The narrator expresses their personal hesitation to pay for the service due to the frequency of mistakes but acknowledges the potential for creative use, as demonstrated by the creator of the Sora music video.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Runway Gen-3

Runway Gen-3 refers to the third generation of the Runway video AI model. It is a significant update to the software, offering enhanced capabilities for video creation. In the video, the reviewer is testing its features and comparing it with the previous version, Sora. The script mentions that it is an alpha version, indicating it is still in the early stages of development and may have limitations.

💡Alpha version

An alpha version is a preliminary release of a software product that is often used for testing and gathering user feedback. In the context of the video, the Runway Gen-3 is an alpha version, which means it is not yet fully polished and is available only to paid customers for testing purposes.

💡Prompt

In the context of AI and video generation, a prompt is a text input that guides the AI to create specific content. The script mentions that users can enter a prompt to instruct the Runway Gen-3 model on what to generate, which is a fundamental aspect of interacting with the AI.

💡Resolution

Resolution in video terms refers to the number of pixels used to form the image, affecting the clarity and detail of the video. The script notes that the Runway Gen-3 currently only supports 720p resolution, which is not the highest available but is still considered standard definition.

💡Custom presets

Custom presets allow users to save specific settings or configurations for future use. The script mentions the ability to save custom presets in the Runway Gen-3, which would enable users to quickly apply their preferred settings for video generation.

💡Lip sync

Lip sync is the process of matching an actor's mouth movements to the corresponding audio, creating the illusion of speech. The video script highlights that the Runway Gen-3 model can perform lip sync, showcasing its advanced capabilities in generating realistic video content.

💡Timelapse

A timelapse is a video technique where time is compressed, showing hours or days of action in a short video. The script describes the Runway Gen-3's ability to create timelapse videos, particularly with landscapes, as one of its strengths.

💡Drone flight

Drone flight refers to the movement of a camera as if it were a drone flying through a scene. The script mentions several examples of drone flight videos created with the Runway Gen-3, emphasizing the model's ability to generate smooth and cinematic camera movements.

💡Body movement

Body movement in the context of video generation refers to the realistic animation of human or character movements. The script discusses the Gen-3 model's challenges with complex body movements, noting that while some animations like dancing are passable, others like gymnastics are less convincing.

💡Text effects

Text effects in video generation involve the creative display of text, often with visual styles or animations. The script praises the Runway Gen-3's ability to create consistent and visually appealing text effects, even with its current limitations.

💡Cinematic

Cinematic refers to qualities in a video that resemble those of a movie, such as high production values, dramatic lighting, and compelling visuals. The script uses the term 'cinematic' to describe the high-quality and visually impressive outcomes that the Runway Gen-3 can produce in certain scenarios.

💡Dreamlike quality

A dreamlike quality in video refers to an otherworldly or surreal visual experience. The script mentions that despite some imperfections, the videos generated by the Runway Gen-3 have a dreamlike quality that some viewers might find appealing or intriguing.

💡Pricing

Pricing in this context refers to the cost of using the Runway Gen-3 model, which is based on a credit system or subscription plans. The script discusses the different pricing options available, noting that while the processing power required for the AI is expensive, the current pricing structure may be justified for the potential creative output.

Highlights

Runway Gen-3 is an alpha version video AI model available to paid customers.

The Gen-3 model has limited settings compared to its predecessor, the Gen-2 model.

Gen-3 excels in creating timelapse videos and drone flight scenes.

The model can perform lip sync, demonstrated in a sample video.

The model struggles with complex human motion and fast limb movements.

A notable feature is the model's ability to create consistent and cinematic close-up face videos.

The model has issues with certain animations, such as eating spaghetti.

The Gen-3 model shows impressive consistency in landscape shots and drone flight scenes.

The model can create dreamlike and artistic scenes with a unique visual quality.

The model's text effects are consistent and can create visually appealing results.

The model has limitations in rendering high-resolution videos, currently capped at 720p.

The Gen-3 model's performance in creating fire and smoke effects is noteworthy.

The model's ability to handle camera movement and lighting is impressive.

The model can create apocalyptic scenes with tsunami waves and burning cars.

The Gen-3 model's pricing structure includes a limited plan and an unlimited plan.

The model's potential for creating unique and viral content is highlighted.

The reviewer's final verdict emphasizes the model's strengths in landscapes and potential for creative use.