Runway makes AI images easier to edit and video ideas cheaper to test

Runway is an AI creative platform used to generate and edit images and video, with filmmakers and other creators able to access a range of different AI models from one place. Two of its latest additions tackle very different problems that can make AI production frustrating: changing one part of an image without rebuilding everything and testing a video idea before committing to a higher-quality generation.

The first is a feature called Layers, powered by ByteDance’s Seedream 5.0 Layers model. In simple terms, it can take what looks like one finished flat image and separate parts of it so they can be edited individually.

That is similar to the way professional image-editing software uses layers for a background, text, people and other visual elements. Until now, an AI-generated image could often behave more like a completed photograph, meaning changing one element risked altering other parts of the picture as well.

Runway says Seedream 5.0 Layers can automatically identify elements inside an image and separate them onto transparent layers. A creator can then hide an element, move it, resize it, rotate it, change the order of the layers or export them for use elsewhere.

The second development is aimed at video creation. Seedance 2.5 is an AI video model made by ByteDance and available through Runway, capable of producing video using instructions alongside image, video and audio references.

Runway has now added a Draft option designed for the experimental stage of that process. Instead of immediately generating a finished 1080p clip, creators can first make a faster 480p version to see whether the scene, movement, framing and overall idea are heading in the right direction.

If the draft works, it can then be enhanced into the full-quality 1080p version. If it does not, the creator can change the instructions or references and test another approach rather than repeatedly committing to the higher-quality version.

The distinction matters because AI filmmaking increasingly involves iteration rather than simply entering one prompt and accepting whatever appears. A creator might try several versions of a shot before finding the movement, performance or composition they actually want.

Taken together, the new tools push Runway closer to the familiar workflow of a conventional creative application. Rather than AI simply producing a finished result, creators are being given more opportunities to separate, adjust, preview and refine what the technology produces.

For filmmakers experimenting with AI-assisted production, that may ultimately be one of the more useful changes. Better generation models attract the headlines, but greater control over what happens after something has been generated can determine whether the result is actually usable.