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The AI media technology provider Track announced the release of Frames, its new model for generating text in images, and it is earn early praise users for producing highly cinematic visuals – a fitting compliment given that Runway is primarily known as a provider of AI video models. Could Frames dethrone Midjourney as the go-to choice for filmmakers and AI artists?
Announced in November 2024Frames was initially made available to select Runway Creators Program Ambassadors and Power Users over the past few weeks.
From today, it is accessible to everyone via Runway’s Unlimited and Enterprise subscription plans, which costs $95 per month/$912 when paid annually or, in the case of the Enterprise plan, $1,500 per year. The company also released a showcase of new Frames user-generated images on its website. hereunder the name “Executive worlds.”
Users can generate still images with Runway website has app.runwayml.com — if they’re on the appropriate plan — then, with just one click, use the footage as the basis for movies made with Runway’s image-to-video models such as Generation 3 Alpha Turbo.
According to Runway, Frames offers an advanced level of stylistic control and visual fidelity, making it a versatile tool for industries such as editing, art direction, previewing, brand development and production.
As Cristóbal Valenzuela, co-founder and CEO of Runway, wrote on a post on social network: “Frames was designed from the ground up for professional creative work. If you are in copywriting, art direction, pre-visibility, brand development, production, etc., this template is for you.
Valenzuela further noted that the model’s prompt system allows for precision and depth, allowing users to achieve nuanced, naturalistic and cinematic results.
Users seem to agree, with @GenMagic writes about X: “Very high quality, lots of control with style, and you can animate your images directly on the catwalk very quickly. I was craving to see some aesthetic nostalgia for 90s malls, and Frames did not disappoint.
Or like user @AIandDesign said it: “Damn @runwayml Frames is crazy. I can’t stop.
Creativity meets consistency
Frames allows users to design worlds with specific viewpoints and aesthetic characteristics. Its ability to maintain stylistic consistency while offering broad creative exploration sets it apart from previous models, which were often more haphazard and “roll the dice” in terms of user experience.
With Frames, users can establish a distinct visual identity for their projects and reliably generate variations that stay true to this specific style.
In addition to allowing custom stylistic designs, Frames comes at launch with a library of 19 predefined visual styles that users can select and further customize:
1. Lively
2. Lively and hot
3. Lively and fresh
4. High contrast
5. High contrast warm
6. High and cool contrast
7. B&W
8. B&W contrast
9. Muted pastel
10. Dreamscape
11. Minimal Nordic
12. Light Anime
13. Dark Anime
14. Anime Painted
15. 3D Cartoon
16. Sketch
17. Low Angle
18. On the move
19. Terracotta
These worlds demonstrate the wide range of creative possibilities offered by Frames, making it an ideal tool for artists, designers and filmmakers seeking stylistic precision.
Designed for creative professionals
Frames offers several improvements tailored to professional users.
The model excels at rendering advanced textures, natural lighting and complex compositions, providing more flexibility and moving away from the rigid outputs of previous image generation models.
This release marks the first release of Frames, and Runway has laid out a clear roadmap for future updates, including more tools and styling controls.
Security and ethical considerations
Runway continues to prioritize safety and ethical responsibility in its generative AI tools. Within the framework of the company Foundations for safe generative media initiative, Frames includes robust content moderation features to prevent misuse.
The company’s internal visual moderation system detects and blocks harmful or inappropriate content, balancing creative freedom and safety.
To address concerns about misinformation and misuse, Frames embeds invisible watermarks in all AI-generated content. These watermarks comply with provenance standards established by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), allowing users to know if a piece of media is AI-generated.
Additionally, Runway is committed to improving equity and representation in its generative models. Efforts have been made to reduce bias in visual output and to support diverse demographics and languages.
Nonetheless, Runway remains a party to a lawsuit filed by human artists who accuse the company and others such as Stability AI and Midjourney of practicing on their works without permission, in violation of copyright law. The case, Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd. (3:23-cv-00201)remains unresolved for now, but is making its way through the courts.
