How do you get your remote video productions looking like they’ve come straight from a pro? The answer is simple: film more B-roll.

First, the basics: B-roll is the extra footage intercut with the main shot. It’s the magic that takes your film from meh to a-meh-zing! It makes your video more visually engaging. It can even cover up any cuts you might have your editor make. And that’s why it’s crucial that B-roll should always be part of your remote video production strategy.

But adding B-roll brings another major challenge: how do you know which types of shots will work for your specific campaign? That’s a different challenge altogether. If you’re struggling for inspiration, relax – you’re not alone. And in just a couple of minutes, you’ll have all the ideas you need to get your next video looking stellar.

Here are five great ways to elevate your remote productions with stunning B-roll footage:

1. Establishing Shots

Engage your viewers from the start by bringing them into the heart of your story. Establishing shots literally set the scene. Building exteriors, offices, signage…it’s all in the mix when you’re trying to establish your location and set the mood. Think of property shows with talking heads: every time, without fail, they’ll shoot the outside of the home to give you context about where the film is set.

2. Selfies

(No, not photos!) If your filmer has got a smartphone and a selfie stick, put them to good use. Selfie footage adds personality and authenticity to your film. With the movement and unique backgrounds, you’ve got a great chance to show awesome perspectives and add visual depth to your story. And selfie footage also gives extra information about where the star is, showing more of their surroundings at an angle ordinary cameras simply cannot capture. This is one of the quickest tricks to help your audience feel like they’re in the thick of the action.

3. Close-ups

Often overlooked, close-ups are crucial for adding pacing and sequences to your final edit. Take a cooking show. They’ll film the chef pulling the cake out of the oven (an establishing shot). Then they’ll get a close-up of the knife plunging into the cake. With that simple technique, they’ve got extra pacing in the edit and they’ve taken an establishing shot into a full-blown sequence. It’s immersive stuff.

4. Action

Fill your videos with movement and energy by including action whenever possible. Don’t worry – we’re not talking stuntmen and explosives. Just solid shots of people actually doing things. For extra pizazz, film at high FPS rates so you can slow down the footage in your edit. Just take care to eliminate any camera shake while you’re moving.

If you want to get super fancy, use a Go-Pro or something similar to deliver completely unique angles.

5. Lifestyle

Think of the stuff you do every day: hanging with friends, grabbing a coffee, taking a walk… this all brings extra depth to a film by adding context and insight about the subject’s life. Whoever your film is focused on, there’s always value in adding some extra footage from their day-to-day interactions and habits.

Feeling inspired? Great! B-roll is the quickest, easiest, and most effective way to elevate the quality of your film and turn a simple talking head into something worth watching.