A-roll vs B-roll: the difference, with a phone shot list

The difference in a practical example

Imagine a short video about repairing a bicycle. The person explaining the problem and demonstrating the repair supplies the central story. Close views of the worn part, the tools on the bench and a finished wheel turning can support that explanation. You do not need to call every nice-looking shot B-roll; it should contribute something to this particular story.

Adobe’s filmmaking guide describes B-roll as footage that supplements the main clips, including material that establishes a scene or helps a transition. The examples in this article are our own exercises. They show how to choose supporting images before you start filming.

Three jobs for supporting footage

First, show what the viewer needs to understand. If someone mentions a loose handle, let the audience see the handle. Second, give a sense of place. A wider view can explain where the action is happening. Third, provide options in the edit when you shorten an explanation or remove a pause.

Keep the relationship honest. A close-up filmed later is often useful for a demonstration, but a reaction from a different moment can misrepresent an interview. Do not use an unrelated image in a way that implies it is evidence of the event being described.

A six-shot B-roll list for a phone

For a small how-to video, prepare this list before recording. Keep each clip running briefly before and after the useful action so you have space to cut. The durations below are working suggestions for the exercise, not rules for every film.

• Place: a steady wide view of the bench and bicycle, held for about five seconds.
• Problem: a closer view showing the worn or loose part.
• Preparation: hands selecting the right tool from the bench.
• Action: the repair step from a view that makes the movement easy to understand.
• Detail: a close-up of the result, with the tool out of the way.
• Outcome: the finished bicycle or wheel in use, framed so the result is visible.

Keep the views compatible

Pick an orientation before filming. Mixing portrait and landscape can work deliberately, but it complicates a quick edit. Keep the light reasonably consistent and check focus on the actual detail. A wide view establishes context; a close-up must be close enough to reveal something new.

If the action can be repeated safely, film it once wide and once closer. Check continuity between takes: the same object, hand position and stage of the action. For an action you cannot repeat, choose the most important view first and use a second view only if your equipment supports it.

Build a short sequence

Start with the explanation, then place a supporting image at the moment the subject is mentioned. Return to the main action when that gives the audience the next useful piece of information. Try watching once without sound: can you still tell what the repair is about? Then listen without looking: does the explanation remain clear?

B-roll does not fix an unclear story by itself. If you cannot say why a clip belongs, leave it out or rewrite the explanation. A few relevant views usually give you more useful choices than a large folder of attractive but unrelated footage.