Runway Gen-4 guide: 5/10-second image-to-video prompts

Runway Gen-4 status and specs

Facts were checked September 13, 2026 against Runway's Gen-4 guide, Gen-4.5 guide, getting-started guide, plan pricing and API pricing. Runway explicitly marks Gen-4 as an older generation. This page preserves Gen-4 search intent while separating it from the current default.

How to use Runway Gen-4

1. Choose Gen-4 or Gen-4 Turbo

In Runway Tool mode, open Video and select Gen-4 or Gen-4 Turbo. Both require an input image. Choose Turbo for lower-cost iterations; switch only when a representative result gives you a reason to spend the higher rate.

2. Upload the first frame

Use a clean image at the composition and aspect ratio you want. The image supplies the subject, lighting, style and starting composition. Cropping to a different output ratio can remove important details before motion is generated.

3. Describe motion, not the whole picture

Runway's official Gen-4 prompting guide recommends a simple, positive description of subject motion, camera motion, scene motion and broad style. Do not repeat every visible object or use negative instructions.

Workflow recipe

A cinematic fashion-style motion scene of a young woman standing naturally. The camera starts with a soft medium shot, slight push-in, clean studio lighting. The woman slowly turns her upper body and head toward the camera in a smooth, natural motion, her long hair flowing gently with the movement. She then raises both hands up behind her head in a relaxed, confident pose. As soft rhythmic music plays, she begins to sway her hips gently from side to side in a natural, fluid motion, subtle and elegant, not exaggerated. Her facial expression becomes softer and more confident, with a slight smile. Her clothing and hair move naturally with her body motion, realistic fabric physics. Camera remains steady with a slight cinematic orbit to enhance depth. Lighting stays soft and flattering, highlighting skin tones and texture. Style: cinematic, fashion editorial, natural movement, smooth animation, high detail. Negative: no jitter, no stiff movement, no distortion, no unnatural bending, no flickering.

Model

kling-3.0

Resolution

720p

Duration

8 seconds

Frame rate

24 fps

Copy settingsTry in Image-to-Video

4. Pick 5 or 10 seconds

Gen-4 and Turbo offer 5- and 10-second generations. Five seconds costs 60 credits on Gen-4 or 25 credits on Turbo; ten seconds costs 120 or 50 credits. Treat one generation as one shot. A transformation, camera orbit and scene change in the same short prompt can compete with each other.

5. Generate, inspect and change one variable

Watch the entire result for subject identity, hands, object continuity, camera direction and the final frame. If the motion is wrong, simplify the prompt before changing the source image. If the composition is wrong, fix the image before adding prompt detail. A fixed seed can help explore similar motion, but it does not make two outputs identical.

6. Continue or export

Runway's current Gen-4 interface can retime, expand, reuse the current frame, upscale or pass the result into other workflows. Keep a clean master and verify the delivered aspect ratio and rights for every source asset.

When to use Gen-4.5 instead

Gen-4.5 is Runway's current starting point for text-to-video and image-to-video. It supports 2-to-10-second durations, costs 12 credits per second and outputs 720p at 24 or 25 fps. Use it when you need text-only generation, variable duration, current prompting guidance or the latest Runway model path.

For a complete subscription budget, use the current Runway pricing guide. For different platforms and workflows, see Runway alternatives. Compare model costs using the same duration and accepted-output rule; a cheaper attempt can cost more if it needs more retries.

Runway Gen-4 vs Magic Hour

Runway Gen-4 is a specific older image-to-video model inside Runway. Magic Hour is a broader creation platform. Use Magic Hour's Image-to-Video for source-image animation, Text-to-Video for prompt-only shots, or Video-to-Video to transform existing footage. Compare the exact model, duration, resolution, controls and accepted-output cost for your job rather than treating either product name as one model.