The Ultimate Guide to Capturing B-Roll
When it comes to video production, B-roll footage is the unsung hero that elevates content from good to great. It’s the visual pizazz, and can quickly turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Whether filming at an event, capturing an interview, or creating remote video productions, following these expert tips will ensure you get the most out of your B-roll.
Tips for Capturing Beautiful B-Roll
To start, let’s review the general tips for ensuring that the B-roll that you capture is as high-quality as possible.
1. Good Lighting
Lighting is crucial. Whether shooting indoors or outdoors, you want to ensure that you light your shots so they look as good as possible. Even a basic understanding of lighting can drastically improve your footage.
Natural light is often the best option, and if you’re filming outdoors try to film during Golden Hour for the best sunlight. If you’re shooting indoors, ensure you have adequate artificial lighting and ideally have a proper lighting setup. Soft, diffused light tends to be the most flattering and can help reduce harsh shadows and highlights. And definitely make sure to turn off overhead lights whenever possible.
Understanding how to manipulate light can transform your footage. Experiment with different lighting angles and sources to see what works best for your subject and environment. Reflectors and diffusers can be inexpensive yet effective tools to enhance your lighting setup.
2. Focus and Exposure
Master the basics of focus and exposure. Ensure your subject is in focus and adjust exposure to avoid overly dark or bright shots. Practice techniques like rack focus to add a professional touch. Keeping your camera steady is also important for maintaining focus. Using a tripod or stabilizer can help achieve sharp, clear images.
Exposure settings can make or break your footage. Learn how to manually adjust the exposure settings on your camera to suit different lighting conditions. Overexposed footage can lose detail in the highlights, while underexposed footage can appear too dark and muddy.
3. Framing
Use the rule of thirds to create balanced and aesthetically pleasing shots. Proper framing is essential for keeping viewers engaged. This technique involves dividing the frame into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Positioning your subject along these lines or at their intersections can create a more interesting and dynamic composition.
Experiment with different framing techniques to add variety to your shots. Close-ups, wide shots, and medium shots each have their place in B-roll and can help tell a more compelling story. Be mindful of the background and other elements within the frame to ensure they complement rather than distract from your subject.
4. Clear Audio & In-the-Moment Action
Capture people in the moment for authentic, energetic B-roll. Background noise can add to the atmosphere, but ensure your subject is close enough to be heard clearly. If your audio does come through muddled, you can always use tools like Adobe Podcast to clean it up. Candid testimonials and reactions can bring a human element to your footage, making it more relatable and engaging. Be prepared to capture these moments as they happen, without interrupting the natural flow of the event.
5. Steady Shots
Invest in tools like selfie sticks, monopods, or tripods to keep your camera steady. Smooth, stable shots are more engaging and professional. If you're shooting handheld, use techniques to stabilize your footage, such as keeping your elbows close to your body and using both hands to hold the camera.
Types of B-Roll to Capture
Now that we’ve reviewed the tips, let’s review the quintessential types of B-roll to capture for remote productions, events, and even interviews.
1. Establishing Shots
Set the scene with wide shots of locations. These provide context and help immerse viewers in your story. Establishing shots can include landscapes, buildings, or other significant features of the location. These shots are often used at the beginning of a video segment to set the stage for the subsequent footage that follows.
Consider capturing establishing shots at different times of day to take advantage of various lighting conditions and to provide a more comprehensive view of the location. These shots can also serve as transitions between different segments of your video.
2. Selfies
Smartphone selfies can add personality and authenticity. They offer unique perspectives and show more of the environment. Encourage participants to take selfies in interesting or significant locations to add a personal touch to your B-roll. Selfies can also provide a sense of immediacy and involvement, making viewers feel more connected to the event or the story you’re telling.
3. Close-Ups
Use close-ups to add detail and pacing. They can turn simple actions into compelling sequences. Close-ups are great for highlighting specific elements, such as hands performing a task, facial expressions, or intricate details. They add a layer of intimacy and can draw viewers' attention to important aspects of your story.
When capturing close-ups, ensure that your camera's focus is precise and that the lighting highlights the details you want to emphasize. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to find the most effective way to showcase your subject.
4. Action Shots
Include movement and energy by filming people in action. High frame rate shots can be slowed down for dramatic effect. Action shots bring a sense of vitality and excitement to your footage. They can capture dynamic activities, such as sports, performances, or other high-energy events.
To capture smooth and engaging action shots, use a gimbal or other stabilization equipment. Experiment with different camera movements, such as panning, tilting, and tracking, to add variety and interest to your footage. Slow-motion can be particularly effective for emphasizing key moments or adding drama to your shots.
5. Lifestyle Footage
Capture everyday activities to add depth and context to your story. These clips provide insight into the subject’s life and enhance the narrative. Lifestyle footage can include a wide range of activities, such as cooking, working, socializing, or engaging in hobbies. These shots help humanize your subject and make your story more relatable.
When filming lifestyle footage, focus on capturing authentic and natural moments. Avoid staging or scripting scenes, as this can detract from the genuine feel of your footage. Pay attention to the details and nuances of everyday life to add richness and texture to your story.
Examples: Applying B-roll to your Event, Remote Production, and Interview
How do we put this all into context with actual, tangible examples? Easy! Let’s see how we can apply these B-roll tips and B-roll types for any production you have on the docket.
1. Events
If you’re covering an event by yourself or with a small crew, you want to capture as much B-roll as possible. Whether it’s a concert, convention, or conference, you need to capture the sights and sounds of the event from all angles. Make sure you’re filming the entrance, applicable signage and branding of the event, interactions with attendees, and specific sessions to show the diverse range of what’s in store. If you can capture on-the-spot interviews, fantastic! Those will provide great soundbites and context to reinforce what’s happening and what the event is all about.
In many cases, you might enlist attendees to be your B-roll filmers as well. This is a great strategy to capture a more authentic perspective of the event, which can complement what you and your crew are filming. If you do this, make sure you actively recruit select individuals beforehand. Whether it’s event staff or actual attendees, ensuring you have a few go-to people to film B-roll is key. Their perspectives will elevate your final video that much further, and you can use a tool like Cinebody to provide them with a shot list, and automatically receive their footage the second they are done filming.
2. Remote Production
A lot of video production has gone remote these days, due to logistical and budgetary challenges. In that situation, you’re typically relying on non-professionals to capture the specific content that you need for your video. In that case, make sure to provide them with a detailed shot list that gives them precise direction on what to film. From a B-roll perspective, try to provide tangible examples. Simply saying an establish shot might not resonate. Instead, suggest that they film the location from 30 feet away, and then film as they walk into the entrance. By varying up your requests, you can ensure that your remote video production team will capture what you need.
Another good idea is to consider incentivizing your filmers. Whether you are working with ambassadors, employees, or actual customers, a small monetary incentive or even free product can go a long way to ensure that your team of filmers capture the highest quality content for your project.
3. Interview
A video of an interview can immediately become more dynamic when you intercut B-roll to reinforce what’s being said by the interviewee. It might seem like a “duh” moment, but many people overlook the B-roll as they are so focused on the interview.
If you have a small crew, try to brainstorm B-roll shots ahead of the interview that can support what will be said. Consider shots of the interviewee walking in the office or outside, interacting with their coworkers, or actively doing what they are talking about. For example, if they talk about golfing, perhaps film a few shots of them actually golfing.
If logistics or budget are an option, you could consider having the interviewee film themselves on their smartphone to capture some of this B-roll. These “day-in-the-life” moments can add authenticity and personality to the story, making the interview much more engaging.
B-roll footage is essential in enhancing the overall quality and engagement of your video productions. By following the expert tips provided in this guide, you'll be well-equipped to capture stunning B-roll that complements your main footage and tells a compelling story, no matter what you’re trying to create. From mastering lighting and exposure to incorporating various shot types like establishing shots, close-ups, and action shots, each aspect contributes to creating a polished and professional final product. Remember, great B-roll isn't just about the visuals—capturing clear audio and authentic moments is equally important. Take the time to plan out your B-roll shots in advance of filming, and keep experimenting with different techniques to continuously improve your skills. Happy filming!
