Runway Playbook
AI video generation as a production tool — b-roll, concept visuals, and VFX that used to need a crew.
Primera configuración
Understand the credit economy first
Every generation spends credits; your plan includes a monthly pool. A 5-second clip costs a small fraction; a 10-variant test costs a real amount. Know the price per generation before you test prompts.
Keep a spreadsheet: prompt, settings, cost, result rating. It is the difference between learning and burning money.
Test short before you commit
Generate 4–5 second clips at the lowest useful resolution to test composition and motion. Once the shot is right, regenerate longer and at full resolution. Never spend full-clip credits on a first draft.
Build a prompt formula
Subject + action + camera move + style + lighting. “A ceramic studio, hands glazing a bowl, slow push-in, documentary style, soft window light” beats “a pottery video” by an order of magnitude.
El flujo semanal
Script the shot list
List the 5–8 generated shots the video actually needs (b-roll, transitions, impossible-to-film moments). A shot list caps the credit spend; “generate until it looks good” does not.
Generate in batches of four
For each shot, generate four variants with the same prompt. Pick the one with clean motion and correct hands; the others teach you what to tweak.
Extend or image-to-video
Happy with a still (Midjourney or a frame you captured)? Image-to-video from that still keeps the character and scene consistent across shots — the key to a coherent look.
Cut, don’t over-hold
Generated shots work best at 2–4 seconds on screen, cut to the beat. Long holds expose the motion artifacts; the edit hides them.
Jugadas de pro
Midjourney still → Runway motion
Generate the exact frame you want in an image model, then animate it. This is the industry-standard 2026 pipeline for consistent characters and locations across a whole video.
VFX remove and replace
Removing a logo from a background or replacing a window view with an ocean is a two-minute operation that used to be a compositing afternoon.
Audio-react for talking b-roll
Drive the generated motion from your voiceover’s rhythm so the visuals breathe with the narration — the cheapest way to make generated footage feel intentional.
Errores que matan la calidad
- Expecting 60 seconds of continuous footage. Generate in 5-second units and edit them; continuity across cuts is solved by the edit, not the model.
- Vague prompts and blaming the model. “Make it cinematic” is not a prompt; the formula is.
- No prompt log. The winning prompt from last month is invisible without a record — and credits are gone, not refundable.
- Text in generated frames. AI video still mangles letters; put all text in your editor as overlays.
Preguntas frecuentes
How do credits actually work?+
Each plan includes a monthly credit pool; every generation spends a predictable amount based on length and resolution. Overage is billed — which is why the shot list and test-short-first habits matter.
Can it generate people realistically?+
Yes, and faces have improved dramatically — but they still drift over long takes. Keep human shots short, use image-to-video for consistency, and check hands.
Is commercial use allowed?+
On paid plans, generated content is yours to use commercially, subject to the license terms. Check the current terms before client work.