Runway Beginner tutorial

Beginner · step 1 of 7

What Runway is (and isn't)

Runway is an AI video tool: generate clips from text or images, extend and edit footage, and use models like Gen-4.5. Everything runs on credits. Gen-4.5 costs 12 credits per second of video, so a 10-second clip is 120 credits (runway.com/pricing).

Good for:

• Product b-roll and social clips
• Animating still photos
• Storyboard previews

Not good for:

• Realistic video of real people without consent
• Long scenes needing perfect continuity
• On-screen text (add it in an editor)

Why this step matters: Knowing what it is good and bad at stops you using it for jobs where it will fail quietly.

Beginner · step 2 of 7

Get the official app

1. Start from runway.com or the official app.
2. Sign up; the free plan gives 125 one-time credits to test.
3. Open Billing to see your credits before generating.

Why this step matters: Copycat apps and unofficial installers are common; starting from the official source protects your account and data.

Beginner · step 3 of 7

Your first useful prompt

Give it a situation, a task and the format you want. Try this:

Slow push-in on a steaming cup of coffee on a wooden cafe table, morning window light, shallow depth of field, 5 seconds.

Then ask one follow-up that narrows it down.

A good result: output in the format you asked for, built only on what you gave it. If it drifts into generic advice, add the situation sentence again.

Why this step matters: A prompt with situation, task and format gets a usable answer first time, so you learn what the tool can actually do.

Beginner · step 4 of 7

Check the answer

1. Ask for the source of any fact you'll reuse.
2. Open the link and find the exact sentence (Ctrl+F).
3. If you can't find it, treat the claim as unverified.
4. For files, check two page or row references yourself.

Before you answer: separate what you checked from what you're assuming. Write "unknown" instead of guessing. Give a link for every number.

Why this step matters: Chatbots state wrong facts in the same confident tone as right ones. Checking is the only way to tell them apart.

Beginner · step 5 of 7

Privacy basics

• Don't paste passwords, ID numbers, card numbers or other people's private details.
• Assume the company can read and keep your chats unless its official policy says otherwise.
• For health, money or legal decisions, confirm with a professional or an official source.
• Don’t generate realistic video of real people without consent.
• Label AI-generated video where your platform requires it.

Why this step matters: Anything you paste may be stored and read. Deciding what never goes in is easier than undoing a leak.

Beginner · step 6 of 7

What it costs

• Free: 125 credits, one time.
• Standard: $12/month billed yearly ($15 monthly), 625 credits a month.
• Pro: $28/month yearly ($35 monthly), 2,250 credits.
• Max: $76/month yearly ($95 monthly), 9,500 credits.

Gen-4.5 uses 12 credits per second. Standard and Pro credits don’t roll over; Max rolls over one month. Purchased credits never expire (minimum 1,000) (runway.com/pricing, checked Oct 30, 2026).

Full details: Runway step-by-step tutorial.

Why this step matters: Paying for features you don't use is the most common waste. Knowing the limits first tells you if the free tier is enough.

Beginner · step 7 of 7

Your first week

1. Day 1: three real tasks from your week.
2. Day 3: compare its results with what you'd have done yourself.
3. Day 7: decide if it's worth paying, based on what you actually used.

Why this step matters: A week of real tasks gives you evidence for whether it saves time, instead of a first impression.