The Power of B-Roll in Video Production
- Angela Wolf Video
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
We suggest all small businesses hire a professional to do a one-day on-location B-roll shoot--capturing any transitional, establishing, or aesthetic shots that do not serve as the main action in your branded videos. That way, you have plenty of these shots to use throughout the year and keep all of your branded videos looking consistent and professional. Keep reading for more on why every business needs B-roll footage on file.
1) B-Roll Boosts Engagement
Think about the type of video content you watch: What about it holds your attention? Are you more likely to stay tuned into a video that is one singular shot of someone talking, or into a video with a variety of shots and supporting visuals? The average person strongly prefers the latter, which is one of the reasons the right B-roll is underrated gold. While your interview may deliver the meat of the content, it's the supporting footage that keeps viewers engaged. Having a variety of visuals tends to increase viewer attention, so people are less likely to tune out or scroll past your video. Relevant B-roll naturally keeps viewers locked into the the crux of the content and engaged with your video.
2) B-Roll Helps Retention
People learn and retain information in a wide variety of ways. Video has the incredible ability to pair audio and visual media into one piece of easily-consumed content, so it's the perfect way to appeal to many different types of learners. If your video only incorporates one mode of communication with the same visual, however, it's a huge missed opportunity. For example, while talking head videos can be quick and easy to produce, they often omit that critical B-roll that aids in understanding and retaining the information being discussed. When a video has only the A-roll of an interview itself, the audience is just receiving auditorial information. By pairing relevant B-roll on top of that audio, you tell the story in a way that reinforces your message and facilitates its retention.
3) B-Roll Shapes the Story
There are tons of different types of B-roll, all used for different reasons, and good video content uses more than one. For example, cutaway shots pull away from the primary action to focus on something at a farther distance. This is great for highlighting details and enhancing verbal descriptions. Establishing shots--footage that sets the location for the upcoming segment--are also vastly important B-roll. They provide further context for the information being shared, thus increasing viewer engagement and retention.
Additionally, we love atmospheric B-roll. This footage captures locations, items, or individuals that evoke a specific mood. Like cutaways and establishing shots, they work to immerse the audience into the narrative. B-roll can also include candid shots. Unlike scripted segments, these shots capture spontaneous moments of subjects outside of their interview. Candid shots add another dimension to the speaker's content, making it easier for viewers to form connections.
Angela Wolf Video offers corporate video production services near Philadelphia, PA. Do you have a specific video question? Schedule a free video analysis call at bit.ly/callawv
