Runway Frames' new AI image generator is here

The AI ​​media technology provider Runway has announced the release of Frames, its latest text-to-image generation module, and it winning early praise from users for producing truly cinematic visuals – well-deserved praise Runway is best known as an AI video model provider. Could Frames dethrone Midjourney as the choice for filmmakers and AI artists?

Announced back in November 2024Frames were first handed out to selected Runway Creators Program ambassadors and power users over the past few weeks.

As of today, it is available to all Runway's Unlimited and Enterprise membership plans, which costs $95 per month/$912 when paid annually or, in the case of the Enterprise plan, $1,500 annually. The company has also created a display of new photos created by users of Frames on its website hereunder the name “Worlds of frames.”

Users can still generate images with it Runway website at app.runwayml.com – if they have subscribed to the relevant plan – and then with one click, use the images as the basis for films made with Runway image-to-video modules such as Gen-3 Alpha Turbo.

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

As Cristóbal Valenzuela, co-founder and CEO of Runway, wrote on a post on the social network X: “Frames were engineered from the ground up for professional creative work. If you're in editing, art direction, previewing, brand development, production, etc., this model is for you.”

Valenzuela also noted that the model's stimulation system allows precision and depth, allowing users to achieve advanced, natural and cinematic results.

Users seem to agree, with @GenMagic writing on X: “Very high quality, a lot of control with style, and you can animate your images right in a very quick runway. I felt like seeing some nostalgic 90s beauty, and Frames did not disappoint.”

Or like user @AIandDesign sent it: “Damn @runwayml Frames are totally insane. I can't stop.”

Creativity meets consistency

Frames allow users to design worlds with unique visuals and aesthetic features. Its ability to maintain stylistic consistency while offering extensive creative exploration sets it apart from previous models, which are often more speculative and “roll the dice” in terms of user experience.

With Frames, users can establish a unique visual identity for their projects and reliably generate changes that stay true to it that particular style.

In addition to being able to design custom styles, Frames comes at launch with a library of 19 preset visual styles that users can choose from and further customize:

1. Lively

2. A warm flower

3. Cool dynamic

4. High contrast

5. High warm contrast

6. Cool high contrast

7. B&W

8. B&W Comparison

9. A muted pastel

10. Dreamscape

11. Nordic Minimal

12. Light anime

13. Dark Anime

14. Painted anime

15. 3D Cartoon

16. Shelf

17. Low Angle

18. In Motion

19. Terracotta

These worlds illustrate the wide range of creative possibilities that Frames offers, making it the ideal tool for artists, designers and filmmakers seeking stylistic precision.

Designed for creative professionals

Frames offers several enhancements designed for professional users.

The model excels at rendering advanced textures, natural lighting and complex composition, providing greater flexibility and a departure from the rigid output of earlier image generation models.

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

Ethical and safety considerations

Runway continues to prioritize safety and ethical responsibility in its next generation AI tools. As part of the company Foundation for Safe Generation Media campaign, Frames includes robust content moderation features to prevent abuse.

The company's internal visual rating system detects and blocks harmful or inappropriate content, balancing creative freedom with safety.

To address concerns about misinformation and misuse, Frames embeds invisible watermarks in all AI-generated content. These watermarks adhere to the authenticity standards set by the Consortium for Content Creation and Authentication (C2PA), allowing users to determine whether a media item has been created by AI.

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

However, Runway remains a party to a lawsuit from human artists who accuse the company and others such as Stability AI and Midjourney of training on their artwork without permission, the copyright infringement. the case, Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd. (3:23-cv-00201)remains unresolved for now, but is working through the courts.