Embedded Files
Secondary footage, more commonly known as b-roll, is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. Remember, visual storytelling is about show, not just tell. To build an engaging visual story, we need a variety of b-roll shots, which should generally try to cover the following elements:
- General views or establishing shots
Shots that help the viewer locate and identify where the story is taking place.
- Observational sequences or action shots
Film daily activities with subjects to help tell the story with images. Make sure to cover the actions with a variety of framings. Below is an example of a sequence of shots.
- Interviewee shots
Whenever interviewing someone, make sure to film the interviewee in action as well. They can be engaging in their daily routine, working, walking, chatting to someone else. Don't be afraid to prompt them to do things so you can film them.
B-roll: Image quality standards
B-roll: Image quality standards
Filming outdoors can be challenging. It might be the middle of the day, and the sun can make it difficult to monitor what is being recorded. Be mindful in terms of exposure, focus and stability. Here are some recommendations that can help ensure good image quality when filming b-roll:
- Use a tripod, a monopod, a shoulder mount or stabilizers
Don’t trust your hands and arms for stability, especially when you are moving the camera.
2. Look for nice compositions that synthesize the story
2. Look for nice compositions that synthesize the story
Underline contrasts, and add meaning to the visual narrative. Good images can communicate much more than on-screen text or voice-over.
Before pressing the record button, look at the frame and assess the arrangement of the visual elements in it. Are they conveying the message you had in mind? Challenge the viewpoint, test how the composition looks when framed from below, above, or in profile.
3. Try to play with basic camera movements
3. Try to play with basic camera movements
While fixed shots are important, remember that videos are about moving images.
Basic camera movements
Basic camera movements
Pan
Pan
When you move your camera from one side to the other. Panning generally is helpful to reveal a larger scene, like a crowd, or to reveal something off-screen.
Tilt
Tilt
When you move your camera from top to bottom or bottom to top.
Pan-tracking
Pan-tracking
When the camera moves alongside what's being recorded, e.g. someone is walking from A to B and the camera follows along on a horizontal axis as the person moves.
Following
Following
When the camera continuously follows the subject in action. Be mindful: if you are not an experienced videographer, make sure to use a stabilizer, otherwise the shot can end up being too shaky to use.
When doing a camera movement, don't rush it. As a good rule of thumb, press record, count to three, then start a gentle and slow movement while counting to 10. Then stop the movement, count to three again, and then stop recording.
4. Pulling focus
4. Pulling focus
Play around with the focus, pulling it from something in the foreground to something in the background.
5. Clip length
5. Clip length
There is no rule to determine how long each clip should be, but ideally we don't want to work with very short or long clips. Try to film roughly 10-20 seconds per clip, to make it easy to label and identify them once in postproduction.
6. Use what is around you
6. Use what is around you
If you don't have a stabilizer, perch against a wall or a desk. Don't stretch your arms out, but rather keep your elbows locked against your ribs so you get more stability.
B-roll: Sound quality standards
B-roll: Sound quality standards
Ambient sound can be annoying, but if we choose it well for b-roll it can also be a great immersive component for the video story. When recording ambient sound, here are a few things to be mindful of:
- Preferably use a shotgun mic
Not your camera’s built-in mic.
2. Keep the audio levels within the range of -12dB to -6dB
2. Keep the audio levels within the range of -12dB to -6dB
Avoid sound peaking as this can distort the audio to an extent that makes it unusable for editing.
3. Work with what you have
3. Work with what you have
When you arrive at a location, try to observe the sounds within it. Find the sounds that are interesting and those that are distracting. Is there a TV running that you can switch off? Go ahead and do it. Is the radio on next door? Try to find a room where the sound is not as prominent.
Establishing shots can be made with the help of a tripod, and you can play around with pans, tilts, and focus, since you don’t have to worry about holding the camera still.
Interviews
Interviews
Interviews are not always required in recordings. If they are, we prioritize the use of relevant personalities within the topic we want to cover.
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