AI Video Generation7 minLesson 42 of 60
Text-to-Video vs Image-to-Video Basics
The first choice in any AI video shot is where it starts from. Text-to-video generates motion straight from a description. Image-to-video starts from a still you provide and brings it to life. They suit different needs, and knowing which to reach for saves a lot of failed generations.
When to use each
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Explore a scene from scratch | Text-to-video |
| Control the exact look of frame one | Image-to-video |
| Animate a specific photo or render | Image-to-video |
| Quick concepting and variety | Text-to-video |
Image-to-video buys you consistency
Starting from a still you have already approved (even an AI-generated one) locks in the composition and style before motion is added. It is the most reliable way to control what the first frame looks like.
A common professional flow combines both: generate a strong still with an image model, then feed it to an image-to-video tool with a motion prompt. You get the precise look of an image model and the movement of a video model.
Getting Started with Gen-4.5 Image to Video (Runway)Official tutorial on animating a still image into video with motion prompts.academy.runwayml.com