What is B-Roll and how do we use it?
B-Roll is traditionally all the extra footage that doesn’t count as the primary footage in a film. For example an interview might be considered the primary footage or ‘A-Roll’ where as the shots that help establish context to the interview are considered the B-Roll.
The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when editors used two physical reels of film: an "A-roll" for the primary footage and a "B-roll" for secondary shots. This was done to hide visible splice lines where two pieces of film were joined. While modern digital editing has eliminated the need for physical splicing, the term "B-roll" has endured.
So what do we do with the B-Roll and how do we use it? Well the obvious answer is that we stitch the B-Roll into the edit. there are many different types of B-Roll that we shoot for our productions.
Types of B-roll:
Establishing shots: Wide shots that set the scene and provide context for the location.
Cutaways: Shots that momentarily cut away from the main action to show something else, often to provide context or a different perspective.
Close-ups/Inserts: Tight shots that highlight specific details, objects, or emotions.
Atmospheric shots: Footage that captures the mood, ambiance, or essence of a scene (e.g., bustling city streets, nature scenes).
Action shots: Dynamic footage showcasing movement or activity.
Drone shots: Aerial footage often showing the landscape or subject from an aerial perspective.
Reaction shots: Footage of subjects reacting to the main action or dialogue (common in interviews).
Archival or stock footage: Pre-existing video or photos used to provide historical context or visual reference.
The less obvious way of how we use B-Roll for our clients is by providing them with a bank of graded content to see the best of what has been shot and also to decide which shots could be used for shorter edits and reels on social media.
Using B-Roll in this way extends the life of footage, making it available to be used much more regularly in the future. Ultimately this provides much greater value for money for our clients.
Example of a B-Roll reel given to the client. This example is from One&Only Aesthesis, Greece.
Here’s a list of what graded B-Roll could be used for
Ad campaigns: Paid online ad campaigns are often the most effective way to quick boost the performance of a video. By using B-Roll there could be multiple different adverts created for various purposes. Our clients have seen a big increase in impressions and clicks by using short clips from the B-Roll as ads.
Social Media posts: Posts will be seen on follows timelines and it’s important to keep them regularly updated with your latest developments and news. Using B-Roll can add a really eye-catching and professional touch to your posts.
Social Media Reels: Reels are more optimised for mobile users and are often catered for video. Again high-quality, engaging B-Roll footage will have follows stopping scrolling instantly.
Website headers: When we first land on a webpage we want to be greeted with amazing visuals that establish what a business or that particular webpage is all about. Whereas the hero film will showcase everything a business has to offer and the stories behind it. a Website header only needs to show visuals with no sound, often close details or wide landscapes, these shots are often extended out over a longer period which makes picking and choosing these from the B-Roll perfect.
Exhibition reels: Companies use expos to promote their brand to a new audience and make meaningful face to face connections along the way. Selecting some of th best B-Roll to display on a stand is a great way of helping your space stand out from the crowd.
Big Screen advertising: Digital signage has boomed in the past decade. Now you can see these displays at Sports stadiums, airports, train stations, motorway services, bus stops and much more. Eye catching visuals are key to the success of these adverts, whilst having too many edits in a short space of time might become annoying, choosing the right B-Roll footage for a big screen campaign can get the balance spot on.
