Runway Aleph Reinvents Video Editing

Released by Runway (RunwayML) in July 2025, Runway Aleph is an advanced in-context video model that allows users to transform existing footage using natural language prompts. Unlike earlier tools for video generation from scratch, Aleph focuses on refining and manipulating real-world video with capabilities like object removal, shot extension, lighting changes, and camera angle synthesis

Core Capabilities

Aleph supports a wide range of editing tasks, including:

• Generating new camera angles—create cutaways or close-ups from existing footage.

• Removing or modifying objects or characters within a scene.

• Changing lighting and style, e.g., converting harsh noon lighting into golden hour ambiance.

• Styling environments or weather, like changing a sunny scene into a rainy or snowy one.

These transformations are guided by simple text instructions and work on actual filmed clips instead of synthetic content.

How It Works

Aleph is designed to function within two modes:

1. Chat Mode—uses conversational AI to suggest or refine video edits interactively.

2. Tool Mode—offers more granular prompt control for precise adjustments in scene elements.

Only the first five seconds of a video input can currently be processed, and Aleph automatically handles cropping and resolution constraints per supported aspect ratios and formats. Pricing is based on credit usage (e.g. 15 credits per second processed), making it suitable for short clips and proof-of-concept edits.

Why It Matters

Unified editing workflow: Aleph consolidates tasks that once required multiple specialized tools—such as VFX, rotoscoping, relighting, and shot coverage—into a single interface. This streamlines post-production workflows.

Tool for filmmakers: The ability to generate shot angles post-shoot offers flexibility and reduces the need for additional coverage during production. Real-time editing through text prompts could reduce turnaround time and team size.

Innovation in video AI: Aleph represents a step toward general-purpose video models that understand and transform existing footage in context, building on Runway’s previous advances like Gen‑4 for video generation.

Considerations & Challenges

• Access is limited: Aleph is currently in early access, initially limited to Enterprise and Creative Partner accounts, with broader availability expected later.

• Professional constraints: Workflow integration—such as support for high-resolution footage, metadata, and NLE compatibility—is still under evaluation.

• Ethical implications: Automating tasks traditionally done by VFX and camera professionals raises questions about employment, creative ownership, and industry standards.

Looking Ahead

Runway Aleph is positioned as a foundational shift in post-production tools. By enabling comprehensive editing within real footage using AI, it pushes the broader narrative of democratizing tools previously reserved for large studios. If widely adopted, it could reduce editing cycles and support creative experimentation in both professional and independent filmmaking.