How to Use Runway References : Say Goodbye to AI Film Inconsistencies
What if you could create a film where every character's face, outfit, and emotion remained perfectly consistent across scenes, no matter how many times the camera angle changed? For years, filmmakers and content creators have struggled with maintaining visual continuity, especially when working with AI-generated content. A character's hairstyle might shift inexplicably, or a futuristic cityscape might lose its distinct aesthetic halfway through a sequence. These inconsistencies can break immersion and compromise the story's impact. Enter Runway's 'References' feature—a new tool designed to solve these challenges. By allowing creators to maintain uniformity across characters, objects, locations, and more, this innovation is reshaping what's possible in AI filmmaking. Whether you're crafting a cinematic universe or experimenting with bold new narratives, the potential here is as exciting as it is fantastic.
In this how-to, CyberJungle explains how Runway References can help you achieve seamless consistency in your projects while unlocking new levels of creative control. You'll discover how to keep your characters' clothing and facial expressions steady across scenes, ensure objects and environments stay cohesive, and even customize camera angles to add cinematic depth. But that's not all—this tool also lets you capture authentic emotions, preserve a film's visual style, and blend diverse elements into a polished whole. Created by CyberJungle, this guide will walk you through the possibilities and limitations of this innovative feature. Whether you're a filmmaker, advertiser, or digital storyteller, the insights here might just change the way you think about AI-driven creativity. Runway References Transforms AI Filmmaking The Importance of Consistency in AI Filmmaking
Consistency is a cornerstone of effective filmmaking, as it ensures the audience remains immersed in the story. Runway References directly addresses this challenge by allowing you to maintain uniformity across key visual elements, such as characters, objects, and settings. With the ability to use up to three references simultaneously, the tool ensures that details like a character's facial features, clothing, and accessories remain consistent, even as camera angles or environments shift. For example, a character's outfit can stay identical across multiple scenes, preserving the continuity essential for a seamless narrative. This level of control allows you to create a polished and professional visual experience that keeps your audience engaged. Unparalleled Scene Customization and Camera Dynamics
Runway References offers extensive options for scene customization, giving you the tools to bring your creative ideas to life with precision. You can adjust camera angles to capture the perfect shot, whether it's a dramatic low-angle view, a sweeping bird's-eye perspective, or an intimate close-up. The tool also supports dynamic camera movements, such as tracking, dolly, and drone shots, which add cinematic depth and motion to your scenes. Beyond camera work, you can define character poses, body language, and interactions, making sure that every detail aligns with your storytelling objectives. This flexibility allows you to craft scenes that are not only visually stunning but also narratively cohesive. Using Runway References for Consistent Characters
Watch this video on YouTube.
Find more information on AI filmmaking by browsing our extensive range of articles, guides and tutorials. Seamless Integration of Characters and Objects
One of the standout capabilities of Runway References is its ability to integrate diverse elements into a single scene with visual fidelity. Whether you're working with human characters, animals, or robots, the tool ensures that all elements blend smoothly and consistently. You can introduce multiple characters into a scene and manage their interactions effectively, creating complex and engaging narratives. For instance, a scene featuring a human protagonist alongside a robotic companion can be rendered with consistent detail, enhancing the overall storytelling experience. This feature is particularly valuable for projects that require intricate setups, as it simplifies the process of combining various elements into a cohesive whole. Emotion Rendering: Adding Depth and Relatability
Capturing authentic emotions is essential for creating compelling characters, and Runway References excels in this area. The tool allows you to generate specific facial expressions and emotions, making your characters more relatable and lifelike. Whether your narrative calls for joy, sorrow, anger, or surprise, the tool provides the means to convey these emotions effectively. While minor inaccuracies may occasionally occur, particularly with complex prompts, these issues can often be resolved through refinement. This capability is especially valuable for stories that rely on emotional resonance, as it enables you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, enhancing the overall impact of your work. Preserving Style and Contextual Consistency
A film's visual style is integral to its tone and identity, and Runway References ensures that this remains consistent throughout your project. By applying style references, you can maintain a cohesive aesthetic across all scenes, whether you're depicting a futuristic cityscape or a rustic countryside. The tool also preserves contextual consistency, making sure that environments and perspectives align seamlessly. For example, a sci-fi setting can retain its distinct look and feel, even when viewed from different angles or under varying lighting conditions. This attention to detail helps create a unified cinematic experience that enhances the storytelling process. Expanding Creative Horizons
The versatility of Runway References opens up a wide range of possibilities for filmmakers, advertisers, and content creators. Some of the potential applications include: Developing cinematic universes with consistent visual and narrative elements.
Exploring abstract or experimental visual styles for unique storytelling approaches.
Creating customized product photography for advertising campaigns.
These capabilities allow you to push creative boundaries, whether you're producing a feature film, crafting a commercial, or experimenting with innovative storytelling techniques. The tool's flexibility ensures that it can adapt to a variety of creative needs, making it an invaluable resource for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Addressing Limitations and Challenges
While Runway References offers numerous benefits, it is not without its challenges. Occasional issues, such as deformations in hands or objects, may arise, particularly in complex scenes or multi-character setups. Additionally, achieving perfect results with intricate prompts may require additional adjustments and refinements. However, these limitations are relatively minor compared to the overall advantages the tool provides. With careful attention to detail and iterative improvements, you can often overcome these hurdles and achieve your desired outcomes. The tool's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, making it a valuable asset for anyone working in AI filmmaking. Setting a New Benchmark in AI Filmmaking
Runway's References feature represents a significant step forward in the field of AI filmmaking, offering tools that address critical challenges like consistency, customization, and emotional depth. By allowing you to maintain uniformity across scenes, control camera dynamics, and render authentic emotions, it enables creators to craft compelling narratives with precision and creativity. While some limitations remain, the feature's potential to enhance the filmmaking process is undeniable. For filmmakers, advertisers, and content creators exploring the possibilities of AI-generated content, Runway References sets a new benchmark for what can be achieved in digital storytelling.
Media Credit: CyberJungle Filed Under: AI, Guides
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BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
South Sudan - the African country producing fashion's favourite models
Wearing an understated but chic outfit, flowing braids and a dewy, make-up free face, Arop Akol looks like your typical off-duty sinks into the sofa at the offices of her UK agency, First Model Management, and details the burgeoning career that has seen her walk runways for luxury brands in London and Paris."I had been watching modelling online since I was a child at the age of 11," Akol, now in her early twenties, tells the the last three years, she has been streamed across the world while modelling, even sharing a runway with Naomi Campbell at an Off-White for work can get lonely, but Akol is constantly bumping into models from her birth country - the lush, but troubled South Sudan."South Sudanese people have become very well known for their beauty," says Akol, who has high cheekbones, rich, dark skin and stands 5ft 10in through a fashion magazine or scan footage of a runway show and you will see Akol's point - models born and raised in South Sudan, or those from the country's sizable diaspora, are range from up-and-comers, like Akol, to supermodels like Anok Yai, Adut Akech and Alek Wek. After being scouted in a London car park in 1995, Wek was one of the very first South Sudanese models to find global success . She has since appeared on numerous Vogue covers and modelled for the likes of Dior and Louis Vuitton. And the popularity of South Sudanese models shows no signs of waning - leading industry platform compiles an annual list of modelling's top 50 "future stars" and in its latest selection, one in five models have South Sudanese heritage. Elsewhere, Vogue featured four South Sudanese models in its article about the "11 young models set to storm the catwalks in 2025"."The expectation of what a model should be - most of the South Sudanese models have it," says Dawson Deng, who runs South Sudan Fashion Week in the country's capital, Juba, with fellow ex-model Trisha Nyachak."They have the perfect, dark skin. They have the melanin. They have the height."Lucia Janosova, a casting agent at First Model Management, tells the BBC: "Of course they are beautiful... beautiful skin, the height." However, she says she is unsure exactly why fashion brands seek out South Sudanese models over other nationalities."I'm not able to tell you because there are lots of girls who are also beautiful and they are from Mozambique, or Nigeria, or different countries, right?" Ms Janosova adds. Akur Goi, a South Sudanese model who has worked with designers like Givenchy and Armani, has a theory. She believes South Sudanese models are in demand not just for their physical beauty, but for their "resilience" was born in Juba but as a child she moved to neighbouring Uganda, like Akol and hundreds of thousands of other South fled in the years after 2011, when South Sudan became independent from were high hopes for the world's newest nation, but just two years later a civil war erupted, during which 400,000 people were killed and 2.5 million fled their homes for places like the civil war ended after five years, further waves of violence, natural disasters and poverty mean people continue to fighting between government and opposition forces has escalated - sparking fears the country will return to civil leaving a war-weary South Sudan for Uganda, Goi's "biggest dream" was to become a model. Fantasy became reality just last year, when she was scouted by agents via Facebook. For her very first job, she walked for Italian fashion giant Roberto Cavalli."I was super excited and ready for my first season... I was really nervous and scared but I said to myself: 'I can make it' - because it was a dream," Goi says, speaking to the BBC from Milan, having flown out for a job at the last some South Sudanese models have had more tumultuous journeys. An investigation by British newspaper the Times found that two refugees living in a camp in Kenya were flown to Europe only to be told they were too malnourished to appear on the runway. After completing modelling jobs, several others were informed that they owed their agencies thousands of euros - as some contracts specify that visas and flights are to be repaid, usually once the models start earning says she encountered a similar issue. When she was scouted in 2019, the agency in question asked her to fork out for numerous fees - fees which she now knows agencies do not normally request."I was asked for money for registration, money for this, for that. I couldn't manage all that. I'm struggling, my family is struggling, so I can't manage all that," she says. Three years later, while living in Uganda, she was eventually scouted by a more reputable who helps fledgling South Sudanese models produce portfolios, tells the BBC that some have complained about being paid for jobs in clothes, rather than models also come up against another challenge - their family's perception of their career choice."They didn't want it and they don't want it now," Akol, who now lives in London, says of her own relatives."But we [models] managed to come up and say: 'We are [a] young country. We need to go out there and meet people. We need to do things that everyone else is doing.'"Deng says those living in urban areas have become more open-minded, but some South Sudanese liken modelling to question the whole concept - wondering why their daughters would be "walking in front of people", he recalls a young woman he was assisting who was about to fly out for her first international job. Unhappy that she would be modelling, the woman's family followed her to the airport and prevented her from getting on the plane. But, Deng says, the woman's relatives eventually came around and she has since modelled for a top lingerie brand."This girl is actually the breadwinner of the family. She's taking all her siblings to school and nobody talks about it as a bad thing any more," he is "proud" to see this model - and others from South Sudan - on the global stage and although the industry cycles through trends, Deng does not believe South Sudanese models will go out of agrees, saying there is an "increasing demand for diversity" in too believes South Sudan is here to stay, stating: "Alek Wek has been doing it before I was born and she is still doing it now."South Sudanese models are going to go a long way." You may also be interested in: How luxury African fashion has wowed Europe's catwalksNo wigs please - the new rules shaking up beauty pageantsInside the beauty pageant in one of the world's worst places to be a womanThe 'peacock of Savile Row' on dressing stars for the Met GalaWATCH: Model Alek Wek on her unique career Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Film Festival showcases what artificial intelligence can do on the big screen
Artificial intelligence 's use in movie making is exploding. And a young film festival, now in its junior year, is showcasing what this technology can do on screen today. The annual AI Film Festival organized by Runway, a company that specializes in AI-generated video, kicked off in New York Thursday night with ten short films from around the world making their debut on the big screen. 'Three years ago, this was such a crazy idea,' Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela told the crowd. 'Today, millions of people are making billions of videos using tools we only dreamed of.' The film festival itself has grown significantly since its 2023 debut. About 300 people submitted films when it first began, Valenzuela said, compared to about 6,000 submissions received this year. The one and half-hour lineup stretched across a range of creative styles and ambitious themes — with Jacob Alder's ' Total Pixel Space " taking home the festival's top prize. The 9-minute and 28-second film questions how many possible images — real or not — exist in the digital space, and uses math to calculate a colossal number. A stunning series of images, ranging from the familiar life moments to those that completely bend reality, gives viewers a glimpse of what's out there. Meanwhile, Andrew Salter's 'Jailbird," which snagged second place, chronicles a chicken's journey — from the bird's perspective — to a human prison in the United Kingdom to take part in a joint-rehabilitation program. And 'One,' a futuristic story by Ricardo Villavicencio and Edward Saatchi about interplanetary travel followed in third place. The 10 films shown were finalists selected from thousands submitted to Runway's AI Film Festival this year. The shorts will also be shown at screenings held in Los Angeles and Paris next week. How AI is used and executed is a factor judges evaluate when determining festival winners. But not every film entered was made entirely using AI. 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Runway encourages the use of its own AI tools for films entered into its festival, but creators are also allowed to turn to other resources and tools as they put together the films — and across the industry, tools that use AI to create videos spanning from text, image and/or audio prompts have rapidly improved over recent years, while becoming increasingly available. 'The way (this technology) has lived within film and media culture, and pop culture, has really accelerated,' said Joshua Glick, an associate professor of film and electronic arts at Bard College. He adds that Runway's film fest, which is among a handful of showcases aimed at spotlighting AI's creative capabilities, arrives as companies in this space are searching for heightened 'legitimacy and recognition' for the tools they are creating — with aims to cement partnerships in Hollywood as a result. AI's presence in Hollywood is already far-reaching, and perhaps more expansive than many moviegoers realize. Beyond 'headline-grabbing' (and at times controversial) applications that big-budget films have done to 'de-age' actors or create eye-catching stunts, Glick notes, this technology is often incorporated in an array of post-production editing, digital touch-ups and additional behind-the-scenes work like sorting footage. Industry executives repeatedly point to how AI can improve efficiency in the movie making process — allowing creatives to perform a task that once took hours, for example, in a matter of minutes — and foster further innovation. Still, AI's rapid growth and adoption has also heightened anxieties around the burgeoning technology — notably its implications for workers. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — which represents behind-the-scenes entertainment workers in the U.S. and Canada — has 'long embraced new technologies that enhance storytelling,' Vanessa Holtgrewe, IATSE's international vice president, said in an emailed statement. 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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Bethenny Frankel, 54, wows fans with her incredibly toned body on SI Swimsuit runway
responded to those who were shocked over her youthful appearance on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show in a tiny thong bikini. The former Real Housewives Of New York star, 54, wowed in several revealing swimsuits in Miami Beach on Saturday. She confidently strutted down the catwalk while flaunting her incredibly toned physique. Several fans were left in awe of Bethenny's svelte figure and rushed to social media to discuss how great she looked afterwards. Some even branded the star as 'unrecognizable,' and admitted they couldn't believe she was 54 years old. Now, Bethenny has spoken exclusively about the reaction online, and admitted she was completely shocked by it. The reality star insisted that her 'body hadn't changed' and said she was taken aback by the world being so stunned about her figure. She said: 'Honestly, my body hasn't changed - people's perception of it has.' Bethenny said: 'I didn't realize I was considered "so old" until everyone started acting shocked that I looked fit at 54.' The mother-of-one added that she believes people are responding in this way due to her confidence on the runway, not necessarily her looks. During the show the reality star entertained the crowd by dancing and shaking her hips as she made her way down the runway. She continued: 'I think what people are really responding to is that I was happy. 'There are so many beautiful women in the world, but there's something magnetic about joy. Feeling alive - that's the real glow-up.' During the show, the business woman wore multiple looks, all of which showed off her toned legs and flat stomach. One look featured a sultry pink polka dot bikini and black cover-up, which she later ripped off to reveal a thong bikini bottom underneath. When she reached the end of the runway, Bethenny turned around to show her backside as she jokingly covered her mouth in surprise. Later on during the runway show, she walked the catwalk again in a denim bikini top and black bottoms, which she paired with a cowboy hat; she later flashed some side boob in tiny leopard-print one-piece swimsuit. As clips of Bethenny's walk circulated around the internet this weekend, many viewers commented on how incredible she looks The show caught the attention of her pal Lauren Sanchez, who reposted a clip of Bethenny on the catwalk and said: 'We all need this energy. And this body. Wow.' After the huge response to her walk, Bethenny explained on TikTok that although the internet was 'fascinated' by her age, weight, and appearance, it took a lot of contouring makeup and spray tan to achieve the final look. Though people may be begging the reality TV star for her workout routine, it actually turns out that the 54-year-old doesn't exercise at all. Bethenny said: 'I did not crash diet, I don't go to a gym, I don't have a workout, I walk on the beach. 'Everything I do has balance, I self-regulate, so I have a good relationship with food and exercise.'
