B-Roll: The Secret Sauce of Any Great Video

If you’ve ever been drawn into a film, captivated by a documentary, or compelled to keep watching a video until the very end, you’ve likely been influenced by B-roll. And yet, it remains one of the least understood aspects of video production, especially for those who are new to the field.

So, what is B-roll? Why is it so important, and how can it make a difference in your videos? 

This post breaks down everything you need to know about this type of footage and how to use it in your videos.

What is B-roll?

What is the difference between A-roll vs B-roll?

To start, you need to know the terms A-roll and B-Roll. The main footage (the central interviews, narrative, message, etc.) in your video is A-roll.

So, as its name might suggest, B-Roll is the ‘supporting role’ to that main footage. It is there to add context, enhance the narrative, create interest, and hold your audience’s attention.

In this example from a simple social media video, the A-roll would be the person talking to the camera. He’s narrating how to find the best free music for YouTube videos.

And the B-Roll would be the supporting video clips that are sprinkled throughout the video that show what is being narrated. In this case, it’s a screen recording of the website he’s talking about.

Overall it makes for a much stronger video than if he simply talked to the camera for 60 seconds.

So, while the A-roll delivers the main narrative, the B-roll adds visual interest and enhances the visual experience for your audience. It helps paint a richer, fuller picture of the narrative by supplementing what’s being said with complementary visuals.

The different kinds of B-roll footage

Because it encompasses several types of supplemental footage, there can be some confusion around the term B-roll. But each of these kinds of footage serves a unique purpose for storytelling. 

Whether it’s a shot of a bustling city street while a news reporter narrates or a close-up of a chef’s hands prepping a dish in a cooking show, B-roll is used all the time across virtually every type of video. From YouTube videos to Hollywood blockbusters, this footage is an integral part of video production. 

So, to give you context here are some more B-roll examples:

1. Cutaway Shots: These shots usually deviate from the central action to capture something at a medium or far distance. They’re often used to reveal details to the audience that the characters don’t notice. This can set up anticipation, divert attention, or even deliver a visual punchline in a comedy production.
2. Establishing Shots: These are often panoramic shots of the location that will set the stage for the narrative. Remember all the times you’ve seen the outside of a New York apartment block in Friends? That’s an establishing shot.
3. Atmospheric Shots: These shots capture locations, objects, or people that evoke a specific mood or atmosphere. They are like cutaways and establishing shots in the sense that they work to immerse the audience in the narrative.
4. Candid Shots: Unlike scripted scenes, these shots are more spontaneous. They capture subjects in their natural state or behind the scenes. Most of the time, they’re found in documentaries and non-fiction productions.
5. Dramatic Reenactments: These portrayals bring narrations and interviews to life. With or without dialogue, these enacted sequences can make the content more engaging.
6. Stock Footage: This refers to pre-recorded footage, which could either be royalty-free or licensed. These supplemental clips serve to illustrate concepts, demonstrate machinery, insert animations, or even add humor to lighten the mood.
7. Archival Footage: This includes historical images, recordings, and footage from archives and/or libraries. These are licensed or in the public domain. More often than not, archive footage depicts significant events, locations, subjects, and individuals.
8. Repurposed Primary Footage: Sometimes, even A-roll can be used as B-roll. For example, a discarded take (or part of it) could be used in the editing process to enhance the narrative.

What is B-roll used for?

B-roll is an editor’s best friend. It gives them plenty of ways to enhance a scene, break up a monologue, or distribute information. If there’s a small glitch or error in a scene you love, B-roll provides an opportunity to work around it.

Here is how you can use B-roll in your videos:

• Setting the Tone: Create ambiance and guide the audience’s emotions and perceptions.
• Providing Editors with Choices: Offer a range of alternative footage, which help enhance the narrative.
• Offering Exposition: Communicate crucial background details or context, providing depth to the story.
• Emphasizing Key Details: Highlight important details that might go unnoticed.
• Introducing Characters: Give viewers a glimpse of a character’s personality or background.
• Concealing Errors: If the primary footage has an error, B-roll can cover it up! 

How to shoot great B-roll footage

Now that you know the full power of B-roll and what it can bring to your videos, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to create B-roll footage of your own. 

Here’s how you can shoot b-roll footage for your videos:

1. Plan ahead
2. Find a great location
3. Use different angles
4. Capture enough footage 

1. Plan ahead 

The key to shooting great B-roll starts with understanding your story. Identify the key themes or ideas you’d like to reinforce through your footage. Having a clear vision of what you want to communicate will guide you in deciding what kind of B-roll shots you need.

Before you start shooting, it’s worth making a list of potential shots that complement your primary footage. Consider the locations, actions, or objects that could add value to your narrative. Remember, B-roll should serve a purpose, not just fill space. 

If possible, create a shot list or storyboard (and write a script if you haven’t already). This helps in visualizing your ideas and makes the shooting process more organized and efficient. You could also label your shot list with ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’ to ensure you don’t miss any crucial footage during the shoot. 

The more you plan ahead, the more time you’ll save on set, and the better your B-roll will be.

2. Find a great location

Where you shoot should align with the theme of your story and add a layer of depth and intrigue. Think about how your location can serve your narrative, contribute to the mood, and enhance the visual appeal of your footage.

Consider the variety of shots you could capture in each location. Look for spaces with interesting architecture, dynamic lighting, or unique features. These can provide a wide range of opportunities for capturing captivating B-roll. 

As well as the aesthetic of a location, you should also think about how practical it will be.

Is the location easily accessible? Will there be uncontrollable noise? Do you need a permit to shoot there? Are you going to need any special equipment? Answering these questions ahead of time will save potential headaches during the shoot.

3. Try several angles

Shooting B-roll is your chance to get creative and push beyond your comfort zone. The more angles you try, the more material you have to work with in the editing room. And the more compelling your final product will be.

It’s well worth experimenting with different camera angles. This is a great way to tap into the versatility that B-roll footage can offer. 

For example, rather than limit yourself to eye-level shots, try shooting from a low angle to make a subject look larger and commanding. Or, from up high to make them appear small and vulnerable. Each angle tells a different story and evokes a different emotion. 

Even the simplest scene can be transformed through the lens of a new perspective. 

4. Get more footage than necessary

While it’s important to value quality over quantity in editing, it’s usually better to take on a ‘more is better’ approach when shooting your B-roll. It can be all too easy to stick to a specific shot list. But having a bank of extra footage can provide both a safety net and a broader canvas to paint your narrative.

By ‘overshooting’, you’re giving your future self a wider variety of shots to work with, which can be invaluable. This allows for greater flexibility during the post-production process. Take it from us, there’s nothing worse than wishing you had ‘just one more shot’ when you’re editing. 

It’s still important to stay focused. While you should definitely capture lots of B-roll, you should still make sure that all of it has the potential to add value to your video. Ultimately strive to shoot more, but don’t lose sight of what you’re shooting.

Why is B-roll so important?

B-roll is often the difference between a good video and a great one.

Let’s explore how it adds interest, allows for seamless edits, and maximizes the value from your shoots.

B-roll makes your videos more interesting

To make your video more exciting, B-roll is here to help! Imagine that you’re interviewing a woman about sports cars. During the course the interview, she explains the differences between regular tires and rimmed tires…

When you watch the footage back, you might think “Wow, this is so dull”. 

Or, you might think: “This is a perfect time to insert some footage!”

You can create a much more engaging interview, by overlaying footage of tires while she’s talking. Rather than having her talk on screen the entire time.

Here’s a tip: If someone says it, show it. 

For example, if you say the word “pizza” in your screencast, consider showing a pizza. If you’re creating a training video about “interoffice communication,” think about adding some stock footage of office workers talking.

If you’re using TechSmith’s Camtasia to edit your video (and we strongly recommend you do) then you can add B-roll to your video timeline by placing it above your interview footage.

B-roll is a great way to cover up mistakes and tighten the edit

As we’ve already touched on, B-roll is great for covering up mistakes and cutting unwanted footage.

Let’s say you shot a great interview with your CEO but it went on a little too long. Now you’re worried your audience will become disinterested.

For one thing, you can’t chop it all up in the edit, making it look like you manipulated the answers. But, you don’t want to leave things that could make them look bad on camera. 

So how can you trim an interview while ensuring your CEO still looks great? That’s right: By using B-roll!

With a little bit of B-roll thrown in throughout the interview, you’ll be able to effectively hide your edits. Here’s how:

1. First, edit out all the bad parts of the interview and anything that’s not relevant.
2. Then, insert your B-roll on top of the edits.

Voila! 

Now you have a condensed interview that doesn’t look like you manipulated or overly edited the footage.

Now that you know the trick to the trade, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.

Local newscasts and documentaries on Netflix use B-roll all the time to cover up edits. Especially those made during interviews.

B-roll maximizes the value you get from shoots

The value of B-roll is clear when you consider the efficiency it can bring to a shoot. By capturing B-roll, you are investing in a stockpile of footage that you can use in any number of ways throughout your project. In other words, by filming B-roll, you’re making the most out of every minute you spend on set.

And when you edit, you’ll have plenty of footage at your disposal. You can expand your narrative, fill gaps, and add visual variety without needing to spend more time shooting. This can be particularly useful on projects with tight deadlines or smaller budgets. 

Where can I find b-roll footage?

If you need b-roll for a video and don’t want to shoot your own, we have you covered. Try our library of Starter footage or you can tap into our full library of stock footage with a subscription to TechSmith Assets for Camtasia.

Making B-rolls, the FAQs