Runway has taken AI video to a new dimension — literally — with the launch of Expand Video. The new feature is an outpaint function for video.
Those who are familiar with image-generating tech will know about outpainting, where an initial image is augmented by adding extra content around the sides. Expand Video, as you might expect, does the same thing but for video.
Outpainting is very popular with AI media manipulators because it allows for both zoom and aspect ratio changes with the tap of a button, and does so without changing the underlying content.
For instance, it makes for trivially easy conversion of media from portrait to landscape mode, or to add focus racks and pull-outs to any image or video. It’s also a great way to add more content to your original video if you’ve neglected to frame it properly in the beginning.
Behind all of Runway’s recent technology announcements lies a clear intention to move away from its beginnings as a scrappy AI video startup, and towards being a genuine innovator in the professional studio production market.
The launch of Expand Video is just the latest in a long line of developments highlighting this vision. The stage was set back in June with the launch of the Gen-3 Alpha model, which significantly improved the quality of video output, and set the bar for the AI industry in general.
Last week’s announcement of the Frames image model, again demonstrates Runway’s leadership in delivering the kind of consistent video output which is essential for any serious contender in media production.
Moving AI video to the mainstream
Introducing, Expand Video.This new feature allows you to transform videos into new aspect ratios by generating new areas around your input video. Expand Video has begun gradually rolling out and will soon be available to everyone.See below for more examples and results.… pic.twitter.com/liF0qF9d0SNovember 22, 2024
Runway Studios which was announced earlier this year, and the company’s tie-in with the venerable Lionsgate Studios, can also be seen as clear evidence of future intention.
Runway Studios is dedicated to producing and funding films and other popular media, and the partnership with Lionsgate takes the AI media paradigm into completely uncharted territory.
The idea is for Runway to provide and train a new AI model customized on Lionsgate's proprietary catalog. This will eventually help the studio generate new content using a hybrid AI process, which will be a first for the mainstream movie industry.
It will be hard to find a more definitive signpost of the reality behind AI’s move into mass-market media production. The machines are coming for the movie industry, and right now there’s nothing on the tracks to stop that express sweeping into town with a holler, a toot and a brass band flourish.
