The AI video generation market shifted decisively in 2026. Sora (OpenAI) was permanently shut down on April 26, 2026. Three tools now dominate the field: Seedance 2.0 (ByteDance), Kling 3.0 (Kuaishou) and Runway Gen-4.5. For creative studios, the question is no longer "should we use AI video?" but "which tool for which use case?". Here is our comparison after 18 months of production use at Nexia.
Seedance 2.0 is currently the highest-performing tool on the market — it outranks Runway, Kling and Veo on Elo benchmarks. Its strength: native audio-visual generation (dialogue, SFX, music) in a single pass, up to 2K resolution, with up to 9 reference images. It is the tool we use when the brief demands a premium cinematic output with audio synchronisation. Points to note: only accessible via CapCut/Dreamina for now, API planned for Q3 2026. Ideal for brand films and emotional content with narration.
Kling 3.0 offers the best quality-to-control ratio on the market. Its multi-shot storyboard mode lets you direct the sequence flow — essential for motion designers who want narrative consistency, not surprises. Clips up to 15 seconds, 4K output, integrated audio generation. Limitations: artefacts still present on complex facial expressions. Ideal for motion design, product content and character-driven sequences.
Runway Gen-4.5 remains the Western reference for camera control. Motion Brush 2.0 and Camera Director enable precise camera movements — pan, zoom, tracking. Quality is slightly below Seedance 2.0 but the level of control is unmatched for compositing and assembly work. Limitations: slower than Seedance, weaker on native audio. Ideal for productions requiring precise camera movements and a compositing workflow.
The tool does not make the film — the art director makes the film. The tool accelerates.
In Nexia production 2026, we combine tools according to the brief. Seedance 2.0 for premium final deliverables with audio. Kling 3.0 for creative control in motion design. Runway Gen-4.5 for camera movements and compositing. Luma Dream Machine 3.5 remains in use for rapid prototyping during creative exploration.
The question is no longer "should we use AI video?" but "which tool for which use case?"