B-Roll: The Footage You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’ve never been on a professional video shoot before, you might find yourself wondering, "Why is the camera pointing at random objects instead of me?" or "Why are we spending time filming things that don’t directly feature my business or employees?" To some, it can feel like a waste of valuable time and resources—after all, you’re paying for a video to promote your business, so shouldn’t every second of footage be focused on you and what you do?

It’s not a waste—it’s called B-roll, and it’s one of the most important tools for making a video effective. B-roll is the supporting footage that gives a video depth, variety, and context. While A-roll—the main footage, like someone speaking on camera—delivers direct messaging, B-roll provides the visuals that make that message resonate and retain audience attention. In many cases, a strong B-roll sequence can carry an entire video without on-camera dialogue, immersing the viewer in the story rather than just telling them about it. 

The Power of 'Show, Don’t Tell' in Video

Many business owners assume their commercial should focus on them, but this often falls flat. A more compelling approach is to capture what the business represents. Whether Gravity Lens is handling full production or guiding you through capturing your own content, the goal is to move beyond static, uninspired footage. B-roll isn’t just filler—it’s what brings your brand to life, making viewers feel something rather than just hear about it.

Imagine a commercial for a luxury resort. One version features the proprietor standing in front of the lobby, listing off amenities. Another version shows travelers sipping cocktails by the pool, exploring breathtaking scenery, and enjoying gourmet meals, with nothing but a logo and tagline at the end. Which one makes you want to book a stay? Some of the most effective ads don’t rely on dialogue at all—think of designer fragrance commercials that focus entirely on mood, mystery, and sex appeal, using highly stylized visuals to convey a sense of luxury. Often, you don’t even know what the ad is for until the elegantly shot bottle appears at the end, but by that point, the emotional connection has already been made. Or imagine a boot commercial: instead of showing a factory assembly line and a CEO talking about the manufacturing process, you see hikers scaling a rugged mountain peak. These are the moments that connect with an audience on an emotional level.

How B-Roll Transforms Your Video

B-roll isn’t just extra footage—it’s what brings a video to life. It creates atmosphere, enhances storytelling, and immerses the audience in the message. A breathtaking panorama can set the scene, a close-up cutaway can highlight an important detail, and a slow-motion shot can control pacing and build emotion. More than just making a video visually interesting, B-roll is a critical tool for ensuring a smooth, professional edit. It helps avoid jarring jump cuts, covers up small mistakes like dropped lines, and reinforces the message by illustrating what’s being said rather than just stating it.

Case Study: Bowling 4 Boobs – The Power of B-Roll

A great example of this is our work on Bowling 4 Boobs, a promotional video for a charity fundraiser benefitting breast cancer patients and survivors. The event needed to balance a fun, lighthearted atmosphere with the seriousness of the mission, requiring a thoughtful approach to both A-roll and B-roll. Because it took place in a non-controlled environment, we made capturing extensive B-roll a priority, allowing us to shape a cohesive story despite the unpredictability of the event.

For this project, we shot around 30-40 minutes of interviews and 2.5 hours of B-roll, resulting in a final edit just under seven minutes long. The first 90 seconds consisted entirely of a B-roll montage, setting the tone before any words were spoken. The B-roll to final runtime ratio for this project was approximately 24.75:1, meaning we captured nearly 25 minutes of B-roll for every minute of the final edit. This coverage helped us work around unexpected challenges and deliver a cohesive final product despite the often chaotic conditions on location.

Gravity Lens was proud to donate production and post-production services for this fundraiser, crafting a piece that captured the spirit of the event. Watch the final video here.

Why More B-Roll is Always Better

To put things in perspective, shooting ratios of 5:1 to 20:1 are standard in scripted or commercial productions shot digitally, where every shot is carefully planned. In contrast, documentary-style productions often require much higher ratios, and high-end documentary projects—like major nature series—can even reach mind-boggling 1000:1 ratios, capturing vast amounts of footage to ensure only the best moments make the cut. These figures represent total footage ratios, but B-roll often accounts for a major portion of that footage, providing essential coverage to visually tell the story and maintain editorial flexibility.

For those outside the industry, these numbers might seem excessive, but without enough B-roll, editors are forced into awkward cuts that can disrupt pacing and limit storytelling options. More available footage means smoother transitions, more engaging visuals, and a final product that feels natural rather than pieced together.

Best Practices for Capturing Effective B-Roll

While capturing a variety of shots is key, professional productions typically gather far more footage than what ultimately makes the final cut. Instead of defaulting to generic visuals—like employees at desks—focus on what truly represents the brand or subject matter. This could be customers interacting with a product, the craftsmanship behind a service, or stylish visuals that reinforce the brand’s identity. Varying shots—wide angles, close-ups, and dynamic movement—helps create a sense of depth and immersion.

A good rule of thumb is to capture 4-6 times the length of your intended final video in B-roll. This ensures a variety of usable footage without slowing down the production process. Always gather more than you think you need, because no editor has ever complained about having too much B-roll. Extra footage allows for creative freedom, ensuring seamless transitions and the final cut you intended. More footage means more flexibility to shape a polished narrative without feeling restricted by limited clips.

Ready to Elevate Your Next Video?

Thanks for reading! Is there anything else you'd like to learn about in future articles? Let us know in the comments. If you're ready to take your video content to the next level, reach out to Gravity Lens to sign up for expert coaching or production services.

Gravity Attracts.