OpenCharts · AI video studio

Director Mode vs Runway

AI video platform with Gen-4.5, Aleph, Act-Two, and a third-party model menu

Runway is the editor professionals know, now with a model menu attached. Director Mode starts from the other end: you direct in plain language, every note becomes a new take the thread keeps, and 20 models from 11 labs are one tap away inside the plan you already have.

By OpenCharts TeamPublished September 8, 2026

OpenCharts Director Mode is a conversational AI video studio that runs 20 video models from 11 labs, the same class of frontier roster Runway sells, inside a directing loop: each plain-language note becomes a new take that remembers the last, nothing is overwritten, and a saved cast holds its look across up to 200 scenes. Runway keeps the edge on its timeline editor, ProRes and HDR export, and Act-Two performance capture. Director Mode is included in OpenCharts Pro alongside documents, decks, code, and agents.

See Director Mode See plans

Director Mode vs Runway✳The verdict✳When to choose✳The roster✳Feature matrix✳Pricing snapshot✳Migration✳FAQ✳Director Mode vs Runway✳The verdict✳When to choose✳The roster✳Feature matrix✳Pricing snapshot✳Migration✳FAQ✳

The verdict

Where each one wins

Director Mode wins at

Directing by note: every change is a new take that remembers the last, kept in a thread you can branch
A saved cast with a seven-angle turnaround, a voice, and rules, held across up to 200 scenes
Story Mode, Lyric Video, Perform, and Final Cut in the same studio
One flat plan that also covers documents, decks, sheets, code, images, music, and agents

Runway still wins at

A full timeline editor with ProRes, PNG-sequence, and HDR export
Act-Two performance capture and Ruby SDR-to-HDR conversion
Node-based Workflows and first access to new models on the Max plan

Together

Runway's Aleph edit model is one of the models Director Mode offers, so footage you shot or rendered can be restyled with it without leaving the set, and the result lands in the take thread like any other take.

When to choose

The right pick for your team

Choose Director Mode when…

You want to iterate by talking, with every earlier take still in the thread.
You are building something with recurring characters across many scenes.
You want the video studio inside the same plan as your documents, decks, code, and agents.
You want to pick a different model per take without a separate subscription for each.

Choose Runway when…

You cut on a timeline and need ProRes, PNG sequences, or HDR masters.
You drive performances with Act-Two from your own reference video.
Your team already runs Runway Enterprise with SSO and teamspaces.

The roster

Every model you can direct

20 video models from 11 labs, picked per take from the Model picker inside Director Mode. Compare that with what Runway offers in the matrix below.

Flash

6 models

Gemini OmniBuilt-in default
Google DeepMind
The conversational default — direct changes in plain language and the shot stays the shot.
Up to 8s720pNative audioImage anchorEdits footage
Aleph 2.0Edits footage only
Runway
Runway's video-editing flagship — hand it footage and direct the change.
Up to 30sSilent
Kling 2.5 Turbo
Kuaishou
Crisp, energetic motion at turbo speed.
Up to 10sSilentImage anchor
Hailuo 2.3 Fast
MiniMax
Lifelike motion from a single frame, fast.
Up to 10s768pSilentImage anchor
LTX 2.3 Fast
Lightricks
High-resolution drafts on a budget — up to 20 seconds of 4K.
Up to 20s4KNative audioImage anchor
Pika 2.2
Pika
Playful, stylized five-second shots.
Up to 5s1080pSilentImage anchor

Cinema Lite

1 model

Seedance 2.0 MiniBuilt-in default
ByteDance
The Cinema Lite default — the Seedance family's draft tier, about half the credits.
Up to 15s720pNative audioImage anchorEdits footage

Cinema

10 models

Seedance 2.0Built-in default
ByteDance
The Cinema default — premium fidelity, footage-anchored edits, native audio.
Up to 15s4KNative audioImage anchorEdits footage
Kling 2.6 Pro
Kuaishou
Cinematic motion with a director's eye for camera moves.
Up to 10sSilentImage anchor
Kling 3.0 Pro
Kuaishou
Kling's flagship — multi-shot direction with native audio, up to 15 seconds.
Up to 15sNative audioImage anchor
Hailuo 2.3 Pro
MiniMax
Best-in-class physics and human motion at 1080p.
Up to 10s1080pSilentImage anchor
MiniMax H3
MiniMax
MiniMax's arena heavyweight — native audio up to 4K.
Up to 15s4KNative audioImage anchor
Veo 3.1
Google DeepMind
Google's flagship — native audio and razor prompt adherence.
Up to 8s1080pNative audioImage anchor
Sora 2
OpenAI
Native sound and sharp storytelling instincts.
Up to 12s720pNative audioImage anchor
Grok Imagine 1.5
xAI
xAI's fast cinematic engine — lip-synced dialogue on a budget.
Up to 15s1080pNative audioImage anchor
Happy Horse 1.1
Alibaba
Alibaba's arena climber — lip-synced dialogue in seven languages.
Up to 15s1080pNative audioImage anchor
LTX 2.3 Pro
Lightricks
Open-source cinema — 4K-capable takes at the lowest premium price.
Up to 10s4KNative audioImage anchor

Cinema Ultra

3 models

Seedance 2.5Built-in default
ByteDance
The Cinema Ultra default — up to 30 seconds in one continuous take.
Up to 30s1080pNative audioImage anchorEdits footage
Sora 2 Pro
OpenAI
OpenAI's premium cut — longer, steadier, cinema-ready takes with native sound.
Up to 20s720pNative audioImage anchor
FLUX 3
Black Forest Labs
Black Forest Labs' video flagship — 20-second sound-designed takes.
Up to 20s1080pNative audioImage anchor

Names and marks belong to their labs. This roster mirrors the studio's live Model picker, so it changes as models ship.

Side by side

Feature comparison

Feature

Director Mode

Runway

Model roster

20 video models from 11 labs, picked per take; the tier's built-in engine is one tap away

Gen-4.5, Gen-4, Aleph, and Act-Two plus third-party Veo, Kling, Seedance, Wan, Happy Horse, Grok Imagine, and FLUX video models

How you iterate

A plain-language note becomes a new take that remembers the last; every take stays in a thread you can branch, up to 30 per scene

Regenerate or edit a clip; outputs are saved as assets in the workspace

Character consistency

Character library: box a face in any take and it is saved as exact pixels with a seven-angle turnaround, a voice, and rules that ride every take (up to 100 characters)

Reference images per generation and Act-Two performance capture

Long-form structure

Up to 200 scenes per production, each continuing from the take you starred; Story Mode plans the whole film; Final Cut assembles it

Timeline editor, node-based Workflows, and multi-shot recipes

Editing your own footage

Upload a clip and direct it; the Cinema tiers and an edit-only market model restyle, relight, and change footage, each result a new take

Aleph video-to-video editing

Finishing

Final Cut assembles starred takes with transitions, narration, and a score; an audio desk mixes per scene; MP4 download and ordered scene export

Full timeline editor; ProRes, PNG-sequence, and HDR export on Pro and Max

Pricing model

Included in Pro ($24.99/mo, 5 million AI credits a month) and Teams ($14.99 per user per month); a Flash take is 2,000 credits, and the same credits pay for documents, decks, code, and agents

Standard $12 to $15, Pro $28 to $35, Max $76 to $95 per editor per month for 625 / 2,250 / 9,500 credits; credits pooled per workspace, expiring monthly except Max's one-month rollover

Beyond video

Documents, decks, sheets, code, images, music, meetings, agents, an MCP server, and a REST API in the same plan

Video, image, and audio generation

Free tier

Free sign-up for the workspace (documents, whiteboards, notes, decks); Director Mode itself is on Pro and Teams

125 one-time credits with a watermark

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Pricing and migration

What it costs, what it takes

Pricing

Pricing snapshot

Director Mode is included in OpenCharts Pro at $24.99/mo (5 million AI credits a month, shared with every other Theo surface) and Teams at $14.99 per user per month; a Flash take is 2,000 credits and the Cinema tiers cost more per take. Runway lists Standard at $12 per editor per month billed annually ($15 monthly, 625 credits), Pro at $28 ($35, 2,250 credits), and Max at $76 ($95, 9,500 credits with a one-month rollover), with credits pooled per workspace and Standard and Pro credits expiring monthly. List pricing at time of writing (September 2026).

Migration

Migrating from Runway

There is no project import between the two. Export the clips you want to keep from Runway as MP4, upload them into Director Mode as source takes, and direct from there; the original files are never touched. Any face in any take can be captured as a Director character with a box.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Does OpenCharts support the same models as Runway?

Director Mode's Model Market offers 20 video models from 11 labs, picked per take, including Runway's own Aleph edit model. Runway's Gen-4.5 family is Runway-only. The full roster with each model's specs is on the Director Mode page.

Is Director Mode a video editor like Runway?

No. Director Mode is a directing studio: takes, scenes, a cast, and Final Cut, which assembles your starred takes with transitions, narration, and a score. Runway ships a full timeline editor with professional export formats. Plenty of people direct in OpenCharts and finish in an editor.

How does the pricing compare?

Director Mode is included with the Pro and Teams plans and runs on the AI credits those plans already include, so there is no separate video subscription. Pro includes 5 million AI credits a month; a Flash take is 2,000 of them, and the Cinema tiers and market models cost more per take. Runway bills per editor, from $12 to $95 a month depending on the plan, with credits pooled across the workspace and expiring monthly on Standard and Pro.

Can I edit footage I already have?

Yes. Upload a clip and it becomes take one. The Cinema tiers and Runway's Aleph edit model can restyle, relight, or change it, and every result is a new take in the thread with the original untouched.

How does Director Mode keep characters consistent?

Pause any take, draw a box around a face, and it joins your library as exact pixels with a seven-angle turnaround, a voice, and a set of rules that ride every take. Stage that character in any of up to 200 scenes and the engine anchors on those angles. Runway relies on reference images per generation and Act-Two for performances.

Is there a free tier?

OpenCharts is free to sign up and use for documents, whiteboards, notes, and decks. Director Mode itself is part of the Pro and Teams plans. Runway's free plan gives 125 one-time credits with a watermark.

Go deeper

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Director Mode vs 8frameComparison

Soft clouds drifting across a bright sky

Step onto the set

Describe a video, watch it roll, then direct it take by take. Director Mode is included with the Pro and Teams plans, with the whole workspace alongside it.