B-roll is not decoration. It is what lets you cut. Every time you tighten a ramble or join two takes, you need something to put over the join — and if you do not have it, the cut stays visible.
How much you need
| Video length | Distinct B-roll clips | Filming time |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 min | 10–15 | 20 min |
| 5–10 min | 20–30 | 30–45 min |
| 10–20 min | 30–50 | 1 hour |
| Vlog / travel | 50+ | Throughout the day |
The shots that always work
- 01Hands doing something — the highest-value B-roll there is
- 02The subject at three distances: wide, medium, macro
- 03Slow push in
- 04Slow pull out
- 05Rack focus from a foreground detail to the subject
- 06Establishing wide of the space
- 07Something moving in the background
- 08A reaction or a face concentrating
- 09Light through something
- 10Someone or something entering or leaving frame
The two rules
- Ten seconds minimum per clip. You will use two, but you need the room to stabilise, slow, or find the moment.
- Film each one twice — once static, once moving. It doubles your options for almost no extra time.