Act-One by Runway
by Runway
Expressive Character Performances with Simple Video Inputs
Score
Score
Our verdict
Runway Act-One generates expressive character animations from a simple actor video performance, available inside Gen-3 Alpha on paid Runway plans.
Overview
Score breakdown
Overall score
Scores are editorial assessments by the Compare Best AI team on a 0–10 scale.
Expert review
CompareBestAI
Compare Best AI · Editorial Team
Act-One (superseded by Act-Two on paid plans) uses video and voice performances as inputs to animate generated characters with faithful eye-lines, micro-expressions, and pacing. Requires a Runway paid plan; Runway pricing: Free ($0, 125 one-time credits), Standard $12/mo annual ($15 monthly), Pro $28/mo annual, Max $76/mo annual, Team & Enterprise custom.
How we tested
Days tested
7 days
Tasks evaluated
- ·Animating a character using a single video input
- ·Adjusting motion intensity settings
- ·Integrating Act-One with other Runway tools
Method
Compared against competitors using identical inputs and workflows
Reviewer
CompareBestAI
Plans & pricing
Standard
$12/month billed annually
Curious creators trying AI video
- 625 credits per month
- Access to all AI video and image models
Pro
$28/month billed annually
Creators leveling up their craft
- 2,250 credits per month
- Access to all AI video and image models
Max
$76/month billed annually
Heavy solo usage
- 9,500 credits per month
- Credits roll over one month
Pricing may vary by region. Always verify on the vendor's website.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Act-One by Runway | Competitor1 | Competitor2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | |||
| Performance-driven facial animation | |||
| Character image or video input | |||
| Output | |||
| Expression and lip-sync influence | |||
| Adjustable motion intensity | |||
| Pricing | |||
| Free plan available | |||
| Dev | |||
| Public API | |||
| Integrations | |||
Is it right for you?
Good fit for
Animate generated characters
Animate generated characters
Live-action and animated content
Live-action and animated content
Facial performance transfer
Facial performance transfer
Creative video prototyping
Creative video prototyping
User reviews
Editorial score
Distribution is estimated from our editorial score. Verified user reviews coming soon.
Use cases
Typical ways teams rely on this tool — from everyday tasks to specialized workflows.
- Animate generated characters
- Live-action and animated content
- Facial performance transfer
- Creative video prototyping
Integrations
Reported connectors
Apps and services commonly connected out of the box or via official connectors.
- Gen-3 Alpha
- Gen-3 Alpha Turbo
- Aleph
- Act-Two
Details
Category
Price
- From $15/month
- $12/month billed annually
Free version
Best for
- Animate generated characters
- Live-action and animated content
- Facial performance transfer
Frequently asked questions
Act-One by Runway
Video Generation
Ready to get started?
Visit the Act-One by Runway website to explore plans and start your free trial.
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