B-roll
B-roll are supporting shots cut in between the main footage: hands at work, a look out of the window, the product in detail. They rarely carry the message, but they keep the film moving and cover cuts that would otherwise jump.
What it is for
- Covering cuts: when two sentences from an interview are joined, b-roll bridges the place where the image would jump.
- Showing instead of saying: what someone describes is on screen while they describe it.
- Pace: a film from a single perspective tires, however good the content.
- Reserve in the edit: what you have, you do not have to invent. Too little b-roll is the most common reason a rough cut does not come together.
Why it works particularly well generatively
B-roll usually shows things rather than recognisable people: material, environment, detail, light. That is precisely the strength of generative models, while faces and lipsync remain the weakness. In hybrid productions the division is obvious: the speaking people are filmed, the b-roll is generated.
There is a practical advantage too. On a shoot, b-roll is the part dropped when time runs short, and then missing in the edit. Generated, it can be supplied later without booking anyone again.
Frequently asked questions
What is b-roll?
B-roll are supporting shots recorded or produced in addition to the main material. They illustrate what is said, bridge cuts and give a film rhythm. The term comes from the days when two reels ran in parallel.
How much b-roll does a film need?
As a rule of thumb two to three times the final length in usable material. Better too much than too little, because in the edit there is always a shot nobody thought of.
Can b-roll come from stock?
Yes, with the right licence. The downside is that the same material runs elsewhere and rarely matches your environment exactly. Generated or filmed, it feels more your own, see also usage rights.
Related terms
Read on: All terms in the glossary • Camera and hybrid production
Filmed people, generated world
Hybrid production joins both. We tell you where the line sits in your film.
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