Sources & references
Runway Academy: Gen-4.5 Image to Video ↗
Runway: turn a photo into a 5-second shot
Use the official Gen-4.5 lesson to make a short image-to-video shot, then compare a locked camera with a slow push-in.
ORIGINAL VIDEOGetting Started with Gen-4.5 Image to VideoRunway
Watch at source ↗The external player loads when you choose to watch. The source link is always available.
PRACTICE STEPS
Steps and prompts
Follow the steps, example prompts and result checks below.
Your deliverable
Make one continuous five-second shot from a photo of a cup by a window. Compare two camera directions while keeping the image and other settings the same. Save the chosen clip, source image and final prompt.
Follow the five steps
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Open Image to Video
In Apps View, search for Gen-4.5. Alternatively, enter Tool Mode, select Video and choose Gen-4.5. Drag your photo into the prompt area.
Check: The input image clearly shows the subject and suits the intended crop.
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Start with a locked camera
Use prompt A below. Let the image provide the appearance, lighting and composition; describe the movement you want. Start with one small action.
Check: The prompt names an observable movement and a clear camera state.
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Set up the five-second generation
Set Duration to 5 seconds and check Aspect Ratio so the rim of the cup is not cropped out. If selecting a frame rate, use 24 fps in Advanced. Check the required credits before choosing Generate.
Check: The image, prompt, crop and duration describe one coherent shot.
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Change only the camera direction
Keep the same image and settings. Replace the locked-camera sentence with the slow dolly-in sentence in prompt B, then generate another version.
Check: Only the camera instruction changed, so the comparison is useful.
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Review and download one usable take
Watch both clips all the way through. Look for a stable cup shape, continuous steam and an uninterrupted shot. Download the preferred result using its output controls and keep its input and prompt.
Check: You have a complete five-second clip that fits the intended motion.
Try this original example
These examples were written by FindGoodAI for practice; adapt them to your own material.
A · A locked camera
The cup stays still on the table. Thin wisps of steam gently rise from it. The locked-off camera remains steady throughout the shot.B · A slow push-in
The cup stays still on the table. Thin wisps of steam gently rise from it. The camera slowly dollies in toward the cup in one continuous shot.When the result needs work
The cup or another subject distorts
Check the source image first. Use a clearer first frame and reduce the complexity or strength of the movement.
The prompt is long but the action is unclear
Remove repeated descriptions of what is already visible. Start with the subject motion and camera motion, then add details one at a time.
The frame drifts or unexpectedly cuts
Specify a locked-off camera for the still version and a continuous shot for the moving version. Simplify simultaneous actions; prompts do not guarantee perfect camera stability.
Before you finish
- The five-second clip plays through and is downloaded.
- The subject keeps a stable outline without obvious melting.
- The two versions show a meaningful difference in camera motion.
- The chosen shot has no unintended cuts.
- The source image, prompt and result are saved together.
Match the video to the current interface
This exercise follows the Gen-4.5 web workflow in the official help checked on 2 October 2026. The Academy video is also about Gen-4.5 Image to Video. Access currently requires Standard or above; check your account and credits before generating. The five seconds here describe your output, not the source video’s runtime.
Video by Runway. The written steps, examples and checklist are an editorial practice guide based on the linked official documentation. Practice time is an estimate; generation queues may add time.
