The AI ​​media tech provider trends announces the release of Frames, the latest generation text-to-image model, and it won early acclaim from users for creating more cinematic visuals – a well-deserved compliment given that Runway is best known as an AI modeling provider. Can Frames dethrone Midjourney as the preferred choice for AI filmmakers and artists?

Announced back in November 2024Frames was initially made available to select Runway Creators Program ambassadors and power users over the past few weeks.

Currently, it is available to everyone Runway’s Unlimited and Enterprise subscription plans, which costs $95 per month/$912 if paid annually or, in the case of the Enterprise plan, $1,500 per year. The company also posted a showcase of new images created by Frames users on its website HEREunder the name “World of Frames.”

Users can create images with this enabled The Runway website on app.runwayml.com — if they subscribe to the appropriate plan — and then with one click, use the images as the basis for movies created using Runway’s image-to-video models like 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 editorial, art direction, pre-visualization, brand development, and production.

As Cristóbal Valenzuela, Runway’s cofounder and CEO, wrote in a post on social network X: “The frames are engineered from the ground up for professional creative work. If you’re into editorial, art direction, pre-vis, brand development, production, etc., this model is for you .

Valenzuela added that the model’s prompting system allows precision and depth, enabling users to achieve nuanced, naturalistic and cinematically composed results.

Users seem to agree, with @GenMagic write X: “Very high quality, lots of style control, and you can animate your images right on the runway very fast. I felt like seeing the 90s aesthetic mall nostalgia, and Frames did not disappoint.

Or so user @AIandDesign posted it: “Damn @runwayml The frames are absolutely insane. I can’t help it.”

Creativity meets consistency

Frames allow users to design worlds with specific viewpoints and aesthetic characteristics. Its ability to maintain stylistic consistency while offering wide creative exploration sets it apart from previous models, which were often more random and “roll the dice” in terms of user experience.

With Frames, users can create a distinct visual identity for their projects and reliably create contrasts that stay true. that specific style.

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

1. Clear

2. Vivid Warm

3. Vivid Cool

4. High Contrast

5. High Contrast Warm

6. High Contrast Cool

7. B&W

8. B&W Contrast

9. Muted Pastels

10. Dreamscape

11. Nordic Minimal

12. Light Anime

13. Dark Anime

14. Painted Anime

15. 3D Cartoons

16. Sketch

17. Low Angle

18. In Action

19. Terracotta

These worlds showcase the vast array of creative possibilities that Frames offers, making it an ideal tool for artists, designers and filmmakers looking for stylistic precision.

Designed for creative pros

Frames offers many improvements tailored for professional users.

The model excels at rendering advanced textures, natural lighting and complex compositions, providing more flexibility and a departure from the rigid outputs of earlier image processing models.

This release marks the first version of Frames, and Runway lays out a clear road map for future updates, including more styling tools and controls.

Safety and ethical considerations

Runway continues to prioritize safety and ethical responsibility in its generative AI tools. As part of the company Foundations for Safe Generative Media initiative, Frames includes strong content moderation features to prevent misuse.

The company’s in-house visual moderation 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 follow provenance standards set by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), which allow users to track whether a media item is AI-generated.

Additionally, Runway is committed to promoting equity and representation in its generative models. Efforts are made to reduce bias in visual outputs and support diverse 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 their artwork without permission, infringing copyright. The case, Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd. (3:23-cv-00201)remains unresolved for now, but is working its way through the courts.