What is B-roll and why do I need It?
B-roll is a handy tool for adding consistency and flow to a video. Sometimes an interviewee stumbles over their words or says "umm" a lot. When this happens, the editor can cut out the "umms" and join sentences together to give a nice sentence or two. However, if you don't have b-roll, these edits may create a jump cut.
What is the difference between a-roll and B-roll?
The difference between A-roll and B-roll A-roll is usually focused on the characters and the main plot. B-roll is the footage that will work as insert shots, cutaways, and coverage among other things.
What does “B-roll” mean?
The term B-roll refers to accompanying footage intercut with a main shot in an interview or documentary. So, for example, your interview subject talking to camera may be your A-roll. Any alternative footage, such as cutaways to surroundings or significant places, will be your B-roll.
What is an example of B - roll?
There are many different types of B-roll, including: insert shots, FX shots, establishing shots, stock footage, and pickup shots. B-roll footage may be added to or drawn from a stock footage library.
What is a B-roll in video?
The term B-roll originates from the early days of film, when editors inserted supplemental footage, or B-roll, into the main footage, or A-roll, to hide visible lines where two pieces of film were joined. In modern film and video production, B-roll describes all of the footage in that isn't the main action.
What is B-roll in film example?
The term B-roll refers to accompanying footage intercut with a main shot in an interview or documentary. So, for example, your interview subject talking to camera may be your A-roll. Any alternative footage, such as cutaways to surroundings or significant places, will be your B-roll.
What is a B-roll in editing?
A/B rolling is a technique used in film editing to hide ugly splices. When a splice (two pieces of film stuck together with splicing tape or glued with cement) rolls through a projector, the area of tape or glue will appear fuzzy. To eliminate this nasty blip in a finished film, the negative is a/b rolled.
What is B-roll in vlogging?
B-roll is footage that is used to support A-roll footage visually. This is a video that shows the story being narrated. If the A-roll story is about farming, B-roll footage will show a farm. B-roll confirms the story being told by A-roll footage. It is used to make A-roll footage more engaging to the audience.
Why do they call it B-roll?
The term B-roll originates from a particular solution to the problem of visible splices in the narrow film stock used in 16 mm film. 35 mm film was wide enough to hide splices, but 16 mm film revealed the splices as flaws in the picture.
What is C roll?
He talks about shooting footage for yourself, for no pre-defined or pre-imagined purpose, just of things that happen in your normal life. This is what he's called "C-Roll".
How do you record a B-roll?
4:3012:12How to Shoot & Edit B Roll For Beginners (Step-by-Step Tutorial)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd i really want to show off the mic on the camera. So i've zoomed out on the lens. I'm just goingMoreAnd i really want to show off the mic on the camera. So i've zoomed out on the lens. I'm just going to hit record. And then just kind of show off the mic. On the camera.
What is B-roll and a-roll in film?
A-roll footage is the main shot you want to focus on. A-roll shows the main subject of the scene while B-roll shots are supplemental footage that shows everything else.
How do you shoot in cinematic B-roll?
3:3613:20How to Shoot Cinematic B Roll for Beginners - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt makes sense to turn the stabilization of your camera off and add a bit of handheld shake. But ifMoreIt makes sense to turn the stabilization of your camera off and add a bit of handheld shake. But if you want the shot to feel calm and peaceful. It's better to use stable shots.
How long should B-roll video shots be?
ten to fifteen secondsA good B-roll shot should be at least ten to fifteen seconds long for short videos, and around a minute if you're working on slower-paced shorts or features.
How do you write B-roll in a script?
0:456:38How to Script a YouTube Video & Plan B-ROLL for FAST RECORDING ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipProcess the first part of organizing is figuring out what you're going to say or do in the first 10MoreProcess the first part of organizing is figuring out what you're going to say or do in the first 10 to 20 seconds of your video to get people hooked. So that they'll keep.
What is B-roll?
The term B-roll originates from the early days of film, when editors inserted supplemental footage, or B-roll, into the main footage, or A-roll, to hide visible lines where two pieces of film were joined. In modern film and video production, B-roll describes all of the footage in that isn’t the main action.
B-roll in scripted video
B-roll is essential in narrative features to create a sense of time and place and add layers of meaning to the story. Establishing shots at the beginning of scenes that show city streets or the exteriors of buildings are usually B-roll, along with other shots that cut away from the main action.
B-roll in documentary video
B-roll is crucial for news stories and documentary films. Any format that contains a lot of interview footage can benefit from relevant and visually interesting alternative footage. “An interview with a person just stationary and just talking into camera can get pretty boring,” Hara says. “B-roll can enhance that storytelling experience.
How to shoot B-roll
While you’re still in pre-production, keep these tips in mind to capture as much useful extra footage as you can. You’ll thank yourself in post-production.
Make the most of your footage
Once you’ve got all the raw material you need, practice cutting it into your main story. The editing tools in Adobe Premiere Rush make it easy to merge your A-roll and B-roll into one seamless story. Once you’ve got an edit you like, try color grading your footage to get the right tones.
B-roll Definition
B-roll footage, Broll or B roll is any supplemental video that considered to be secondary to your primary footage. B-roll can be gathered with a separate unit, acquired from stock footage, or obtained from any source other than your principal photography.
What is B-roll footage?
When creating a shot list, make sure to include both time and plans for shooting B-roll video. When filmmakers don’t consider A-roll vs B-roll during pre-production they’re often left with gaps in their edit.
Up Next
Now you understand the B-roll definition, and the differences between A-roll vs B-roll, but you won’t understand the true value and meaning of B-roll until you use it in one of your projects. Our next post gives you a list of the best places to find FREE and Affordable B-roll footage online.
Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards
Create robust and customizable shot lists. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows.
What is Videvo?
Videvo is a website for free b-roll footage and Premium stock video clips. The assets you see here are powered by Videvo and come from their library. The footage displayed in this page is free however the ones marked by a thunderbolt come from their Premium selection.
What is free b-roll footage?
Firstly, B-roll footage, Broll or B roll is any supplemental video that considered to be secondary to your primary footage. Also, B-roll can be gathered with a separate unit, acquired from stock footage, or obtained from any source other than your principal photography.
What are stock video clips?
Stock videos are short clips of common landmarks, people, and events that can be used and reused for a variety of commercial purposes. Clips are short edits of about 5 to 30 seconds in length that usually capture a theme or moment.
What video formats do you offer?
Free b-roll footage is available in the original format as uploaded by the videographer.
Where can I use this free b-roll footage?
Finally, you may use the free b-roll footage in short films, television, educational videos, web content, multimedia presentations and for many other uses.
What You Can Do With B Roll
You can implement B Roll footage in many different ways to make your film or video more appealing and compelling, such as:
How to Use A Roll and B Roll
To gain a better understanding of A Roll and B Roll, learn how film and video professionals use them in different types of projects. The following are a few examples.
Tips for Shooting B Roll
When you’re thinking of what you want to shoot and putting together your pre-production schedule, it’s essential to set aside time for creating ample B Roll footage. This will ensure you’ll have appropriate footage to visually relate the people, places, or objects that build the world of your story.
Experimenting With Camera Angles
As mentioned earlier, you need to shoot a subject or scene from different angles to create good B Roll footage. Below are a few angles you can play around with.
Examples of B Roll Footage
Documentaries: Anytime the footage from the video below is not from an interview or if it is in the past, that would be B Roll video.
What is B-roll?
B-roll is essentially alternative footage to your main footage. We refer to your main footage as A-roll, making the cutaway footage B-roll. For example, if you’re shooting an interview with a welder, your A-roll will be the footage of the welder talking. The B-footage would be the cut away shots showing the welder at work.
Type of video dictates type of B-roll
There are many uses for B-roll and all of them are dependent on the type of video you are producing.
Camera movement
Now that we know what B-roll is used for let’s discuss the best way to shoot it. First and foremost, if you shoot your interview on a tripod use a tripod or other support for your B-roll shots, listen up. Nothing is more distracting than seeing rock-solid interview footage cut against “shaky-cam” handheld footage.
Coverage, coverage, coverage
Nothing is worse than sitting in front of your editing system with your video almost finished and realizing that you are three shots short of covering up the last three edits in your interview — it’s due tomorrow.
How To Shoot B-Roll
W here can you download great B-roll footage online? Anyone with a camera can capture B-roll video, but that doesn’t mean it has the right frame rate, color correction, or have the right subject matter.
Where to download B-roll footage
Here is a list of online websites with free B-roll footage, but keep in mind that most of these websites also have premium B-roll video for sale, so make sure to verify the clip you want is free.
1. Dissolve
Dissolve is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, and founded by stock video industry veterans. They have free stock video, model releases, and inspirational showreels to help you get started with some videos gratis.
2. Pixabay
Pixabay is a community of creatives that share copyright free images and online B-roll videos. Everything on their website is safe to use for commercial purposes because they use the Pixabay license.
3. Stock.Adobe
Adobe provides a large collection of high-resolution, royalty-free, stock assets including some free online B-roll footage options. Search within your Adobe Creative Cloud apps, then preview watermarked images inside your designs, and access them within your Adobe desktop apps.
4. Videohive
VideoHive is part of the Envato Market, which is a creative eco-system with a large number of designers and creatives who submit their B-roll footage and design assets. Videohive has some high quality B-roll video.
5. Pond5
Pond5 is a very large video-first content marketplace, providing filmmakers, creators, and producers with high quality B-roll video. Pond5 shares licensing revenue with its contributing artists as well.