- B-Roll video is essential to supplement the main camera work. Your novel or movie won’t be complete without it.
- Use a storyboard to properly plan your B-Roll, and to have flexibility, use a range of perspectives, shot styles, and transitions.
- Include stock film in your B-Roll as a source of inspiration. But ensure that it has the same appearance as your video.
It can be seen in everything, including music videos, hit movies, TV shows, wedding videos, and advertisements. Yes, the topic at hand is B-Roll. Although it could appear to be the simplest aspect of the production, great B-Roll isn’t just shot by chance.
Then, what is B-Roll?
How to Shoot & Edit B-Roll For Beginners (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
What is B-Roll?
When movies were still being made, “B-Roll” was a word for secondary, auxiliary footage to A-Roll, or prime footage. The phrase “A-Roll” has become less common in the digital age, while B-Roll (sometimes spelled B roll/B-roll) is still often used in filmmaking and videography.
B-Roll footage typically consists of establishing shots, cutaways, landscapes, or actions to supplement principal imagery. It is usually recorded without sound. B-Roll is frequently created by smaller 2nd unit crews on larger projects, while the director stays with the main crew.
Why Is It Called B-Roll?
The phrase “B-roll” has its roots in analog film. Mainly, there were noticeable splices in the 16 mm film’s small film stock. To fix this, the pictures were joined together with an opaque black leader that would cover the join. The odd-numbered shots were placed on the A-roll, and the even-numbered shots were placed on the B-roll.
Why do you need B-Roll?
B-Roll video is essential to supplement the main camera work for filmmakers. Your feature won’t be complete without it. While B-Roll fills in the gaps in your chronology with crucial cutaways and transitions, A-Roll concentrates on the people and the main plot. Even faults are covered with it (but don’t tell anyone!).
The best filmmakers combine A-roll and B-roll while meticulously organizing their shoots. Although they do away with the necessity for B-roll film, their team still receives some extra material.
B-Roll for all production types
Your production will determine the type of B-Roll you require. Depending on the type of film you’re making—documentary, narrative, commercial, or travel—you’ll shoot B-Roll differently.
B-Roll is used to overlay interviews in documentaries. To cut away to and bolster what your subject is saying, you’ll need coverage that is around five times as long as the final interview.
Talking head film is far more compelling when it includes this type of B-Roll. A possibility for creativity is also presented. B-Roll for documentaries doesn’t have to be conventional. It may be humorous or even offensive to the topic being discussed. Sourced film for documentaries can also include old newsreels or old photographs….along with any B-Roll archived newsreels or old photographs.
Establishing shots are included in the narrative B-Roll. Think of the opening scene of a horror film where a sleepy, rural village is shown. Or the tale of an actor from a tiny town who moves to New York City. Portraits of persons working, taxis speeding past, or subway riders streaming in may be featured in the opening B-Roll.
Macro or slo-mo product shots are examples of commercial B-Roll. Here is an illustration of a well-thought-out and carried-out B-Roll to comprise a whole branded video:
Regarding travel movies, they frequently consist mostly of varied B-Roll that have been edited to support the telling of a narrative plot. A sequence of match cuts that combine seemingly unrelated clips according to camera movements, color, or tone lay the groundwork for a narrative.
Additionally, you’ll discover that B-Roll is frequently used to enhance talking-head footage in wedding and event recordings. You must pay close attention to coverage in certain situations! To ensure you have all the B-Roll you require and more, hire a second or third shooter for weddings and events.
Related Article: Film Set Jargon & Terminology List – Important Filmmaking Terms To Know On Set
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How to capture amazing B-Roll
Make a shot list or advance your production by making a storyboard first.
While it may be tempting to simply shoot B-Roll as you go, planning out a series of images that support the main action is more cost-, production-, and post-production-efficient.
In terms of style, color, and cinematography, B-Roll should closely resemble A-Roll. However, there is no such thing as too much (ask any editor). When filming B-Roll, be just as deliberate as you would when taking still photos, and pay close attention to your composition, lighting, and movement.
Second, to create a more cinematic film, make use of camera motions and various angles. B-Roll video can be just as dramatic as the actual shooting. Choose the camera movement that best captures the emotion or activity of the scene from among all the other options available, such as zoom, tilt, and dolly shots.
If the action and scene calls for it, use a Steadicam, gimbal, slider, dolly, jib, or just go handheld. To fill in gaps in the main film and add to the mood or movement of the scene, use a range of shots, including close-ups, wide angles, time-lapse (or hyper-lapse), POV, bird’s eye views, and Dutch angles.
Transitions
B-Roll can also include in-camera transitions that move the sequence over real space without the use of special effects. In your subsequent project, try these two B-Roll transitions:
The Elevator
Shift the camera upward or downward to simulate climbing through the floor or the ceiling. Alternately, move “through” a wall to progress from left to right.
Whip Pan
Quickly switching the focus from one thing to another. This can be accomplished in-camera and is a great shot to have on hand when shooting B-Roll, but it can also be sped up in post-production.
Match cuts
Match cuts are another crucial component of B-Roll video. Match cuts are clips that are paired together depending on the subject, tone, color, or movement of the camera. Circular progressions, such as from a pie to the moon or from a drop of blood to a stoplight, are examples (color to color).
Stock images
Lacking motivation or unable to afford to hire a second unit to shoot B-Roll? Or perhaps you need pricey shots like aerials or the moon landing since your B-Roll is too short. Perhaps you simply want to use abstract views in your video to give it more atmosphere or edge. You can use stock video to complete your B-roll.
For instance, Videvo provides thousands of high-quality clips that are arranged into tales and are simple to utilize as B-Roll. Even an entire travel movie may be made from stock footage! Find out how to use stock footage in your edit.
Final Note
Killer sound goes with killer graphics. Even though B-Roll video isn’t typically filmed with sound, you’ll want to add music, sound effects, and Foley to it, so keep that in mind when you’re editing.
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About the author: Trent (IMDB | YouTube) has spent 10+ years working on an assortment of film and television projects. He writes about his experiences to help (and amuse) others. If he’s not working, he’s either traveling, reading or writing about travel/film, or planning travel/film projects.
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