Okay first of all, what is B-roll? Just to clear the air, b-roll footage in video production is supplemental or alternative footage that is an aside, or relevant extra shots/snippets, from the main footage. Back in the day, the “main footage”, or the stuff that makes it to the final product, was called A-footage, but that’s fallen a bit out of style. For whatever reason, B-roll still stuck.

So – what’s the lowdown on B-roll footage? When you read the definition it probably sounds like the fat and white noise that you need to trim out during the editing process, but in reality, B-roll can be some seriously valuable footage that can serve a lot of purposes.

B-roll can consist of things like still shots or extra footage that gives context to the main story. For example, if you’re a software company creating a video about your new product offering, you may end up with some B-roll footage of your software populating information on the backend via a display screen. Is it necessary for the “main event?” Maybe not. But it could look awfully cool incorporated into the video in between your bread and butter.

Popular forms of B-roll are things like camera or stage setup, crews moving around behind the scenes, actors or actresses prepping to go on camera, et cetera. In fact if you think about a lot of the movies, documentaries, commercials, marketing videos, and any other type of video you’ve seen, you’ve probably watched more B-roll than you’ve realized.

So, why use it? Apart from the fact it can end up being pretty visually appealing, there’s a few reasons why B-roll can be a big asset for your video.

Gives Context to the Story You’re Telling

Much like the software example above, sometimes B-roll can speak volumes to the context or narrative of a story told in a short video without having to elaborate. If you’re a sports management company, maybe you include a few quick shots of athletes in the throws of their respective sports, or just a quick flash of your office filled with sports memorabilia.

In the interest of keeping video short, incorporating relevant B-roll footage can provide great context to your video without adding additional scripting time or trying to pack too much voiceover into a time window. You know how we feel about that.

Adds Entertainment Value

“Behind the scenes” footage has been being used to add personality to videos for years. The practice is far from dead, and using B-roll footage is a great way to add a little extra “something” to your video. People like to be entertained. They like to feel like they’re getting an “inside look.” They like to feel a part of something. B-roll can help with all those things.

You Never Know How it Can be Repurposed

B-roll footage can serve a ton of purposes for your marketing strategy downstream, including blooper reels, “Take a look inside our culture” videos, you name it. It’s basically free extra footage – if you’re not saving it than you’re missing out. Who knows? There may be an entire video campaign hiding in your B-roll footage and you didn’t even know it.

It’s name might claim that it’s just “secondary” footage- but don’t underestimate the power of B-roll. One video’s trash is another one’s treasure.