Runway shipped Act-One, a character animation tool that generates expressive performances using only video and voice inputs. The feature works within the company's Gen-3 Alpha video generation model.

The tool eliminates traditional motion capture workflows that typically require specialized equipment and multi-step processes. Instead, Act-One uses a single camera setup to capture an actor's performance and translates it directly into animated characters.

Act-One preserves facial expressions, eye movements, and micro-expressions from the source video. The system works across different character proportions and maintains performance fidelity even when the generated character looks significantly different from the original actor.

The tool handles both animated and photorealistic outputs. Runway demonstrated the technology with multi-character dialogue scenes, where a single actor performed different roles to drive multiple generated characters in conversation.

Safety measures and availability

Runway implemented content moderation systems to prevent misuse. The company added detection capabilities to block attempts to generate content featuring public figures and technical measures to verify users have rights to voices used with Custom Voices.

The release follows Runway's "Foundations for Safe Generative Media" framework, which guides safety protocols for new features.

Act-One represents Runway's push to democratize sophisticated animation techniques. Traditional character animation pipelines often require expensive motion capture equipment and technical expertise that limits access to larger studios.

The tool is available now for all Gen-3 Alpha users through Runway's platform. The company positions Act-One as part of its broader mission to build controllable creative tools for artists and content creators.

Runway has been competing in the generative video space alongside companies like OpenAI with Sora and other AI video generation platforms. The character animation focus differentiates Act-One from general-purpose video generation tools.