What is B-Roll and When Should You Use It in Video?

Spin Creative • February 8, 2021

If you’ve been looking into video to round out your brand’s advertising efforts, you may have come across a term called B-roll. This simple term is a common one in the film industry and represents a crucial component of all kinds of videos, from movies to ads.
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A man is taking a picture of a woman and a man with a camera.

B-roll footage is essentially any footage that supplements your primary footage. The word comes from old filmmaking terms, where principal footage was called A-roll, and supplementary or “cutaway” footage was called B-roll. Today, filmmakers still use the term B-roll and actually capture it intentionally in order to make videos more visually interesting.

Why is B-roll so important?

B-roll is designed to fill in gaps between your main shots. It can also be used to connect shots that don’t match up perfectly or to cover up mistakes in your primary footage. When used strategically, though, B-roll can enhance the message of your video and provoke stronger emotional responses.

While supplementary, B-roll has the power to add immense visual intrigue and dimension to your videos. Think about customer testimonial videos. Your primary footage will be the customer talking to the camera about their experience with your product or service. However, video of a talking head can get boring pretty quickly.

This is where B-roll comes in. Short clips of related visuals, such as a time lapse of the customer’s storefront or a close-up on a cash register, can be used to break away from the primary footage and add to the narrative. You might also have some footage of them working or demonstrating your product in action.

Each of these breakaway shots support the video’s main story and give the viewer something new to look at. Thus, in a sense, B-roll helps a video feel complete.

Capturing B-roll can make your videos pop

When shooting your video, whether it’s a customer testimonial, a product demo or a brand introduction, you should be intentional about shooting B-roll. Great B-roll isn’t merely accidental—it’s often planned for and thought out in some capacity ahead of time. Each type of video and story will demand a different kind of B-roll, so it’s smart to establish some B-roll guidelines for the particular video you’re producing.

On the day of your shoot, focus on the primary footage first, then work on B-roll. Capturing a wide range of shots will give you plenty of options to choose from when editing your video together.

Of course, it’s not always possible to capture B-roll in house—especially if you’re working on a time crunch. This doesn’t mean you should only use your primary footage! Stock footage (generic shots from other sources) and even still photography can be used to cut away from the main shots you captured and add another level of visual interest. Your video should not be limited to the live-action shots you get yourself.

B-roll is just one of the things you should use to take your video to the next level. Relying on the expertise of a creative partner like Spin Creative can ensure that your videos come out looking polished and professional. Interested? Say hello!

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Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.

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