B-roll footage is the supplemental or alternative footage that you use to enhance your main story in a documentary. It can help you create visual interest, establish context, show details, fill gaps, and transition between scenes. But how do you capture b-roll footage that is effective and relevant for your documentary? Here are some tips to guide you.
Before you start shooting, you should have a clear idea of what your main story is, what themes and messages you want to convey, and what kind of b-roll footage you need to support them. You can research your locations, subjects, and events, and make a list of possible shots that would illustrate your points. You can also scout the locations beforehand and look for interesting angles, lighting, and compositions. Having a plan will help you save time and resources, and avoid missing important opportunities.
I'll state the obvious: B-Roll is dependent on the A-roll, meaning what the interviewee talks about. You need footage to illustrate and make clearer what they mean, to help prove their point. So yes, preparation is important, if you are interviewing the manager of a warehouse, plan on shots of him/her managing. You'll know that upfront. But it's also important to keep notes during the interview, or just after. Say the manager talks about a cat that lives in the warehouse, well, it would be good to get shots of that. I am a director/editor, but when I edit for others, I am often frustrated by how short B-roll is. When shooting an establishing or static shot, count silently and slowly to 10. As in one-one thousand, two-one thousand.
Producers will be happy to consolidate production and will look to shoot "B-rolls" during production. Thats the traditional way to do it, and thats why you have a 2nd unit. Lately, Im doing it differently. I'm shooting B-rolls myself *after* I have an idea of the 1st cut. I find this way more consistent with the visual tone and I can effectively go for what I need instead of over shooting. Do whatever works for you and your production!
I'm a meticulous planner who believes in the power of thorough preparation before diving into production. It's always wiser to be over prepared than under-prepared. Here's some B-roll tips: 1. Identify key scenes in advance for target B- roll. 2. Your shots need to contribute to the narrative! 3. Shoot a variety of different camera angles. 4. Focus on details and actions that enhance the narrative. 5. Capture unscripted moments for genuine storytelling 6. LIGHTING/COMPOSITIONS!!! 7. Be flexible and be open to the unknown. #Spontaneousmoments
As much understanding you can get of people and processes, the more you will know what to look for on site and capture. If possible, conduct preliminary pre-production meetings to learn as much as you can about how things work in "the world" you will be filming. Time is of the essence on set, so knowledge will give you a head start when looking for what is important to capture.
As a Re-recording Mixer and Sound Designer, I can't stress the importance of being mindful of sound! Don't dismiss ambience and natural backgrounds - these are important for establishing the emotion of any B-roll footage, but especially in a doc where most likely, the B-roll is also telling part of the story that is crucial (in emotion and info) to the overall story. Have your location sound mixer pay attention to ambient sounds and capture natural audio to enhance the atmosphere. Alternatively, if a sound track / music bed is planned for post, pop in a pair of ear buds and listen to that music cue while rolling the B-roll... this may alter the perspective on what you're shooting.
Even if you have a plan, you should always be prepared to shoot more b-roll footage than you think you need. You never know what might happen on the field, what challenges you might face, or what creative ideas you might have later. Shooting more b-roll footage will give you more options and flexibility in the editing process, and allow you to experiment with different combinations and sequences. You should also shoot from different perspectives, distances, and movements, to create variety and dynamism in your b-roll footage.
Capture everything. If it’s there get a shot of it. If you feel like you are capturing the same thing- stand somewhere else, or consider changing the plane of vision the camera is at. Get low; get eye-level; get behind them! Once you get in the groove of your shots- get bold and incorporate light and controlled movement to your shot- not all of it has to be done in post and you’d be surprised how much more dynamic a shot can look from it. Also, use stabilization- Tri-pod; Monopod; shoulder mount; all of these can help balance the weight the aid for a stable yet dynamic shot.
Shoot as much as you can at your A-unit locations, be ready to go capture more of what your subjects describe, shoot as much as possible, and still be ready for more shooting as your needs evolve in postproduction. And don’t rule out the carefully-placed stock item — if it worked for “The Menu,” it can work for you.
This is a good rule to follow, as you're going to need more then you think. Shoot in 60fps or 48fps if possible, you can always speed it up to 30 or 24. But the slower human movements often add to the dramatic feel of the story, and it allows you to stretch a few second clip out to cover what you need without and extra cut. Find multiple angles of the same action. Are they walking into the house, start super wide where they are small, them move in for a pan medium as they approach, a closer shot of the door and an ECU of the door knob. Then go inside and get the reverse from the window and the door opening. Wrap around your subject for different perspectives, and you can decide what works best in editing. Get close ups for cut away's
Film close, medium, and wide shots of as many things as possible. This gives you cutting options in post. It also helps to build scenes by having establishing shots, standard shots, and details.
B-roll footage is what makes the A-role footage and action interesting. I would do a lot more footage that ne will be used later, or hire a crew simultaneously, to do the B-roll footage, take notes and coordinate etc....
One of the main purposes of b-roll footage is to evoke emotions in your audience, and make them connect with your main story and characters. To do that, you should capture the expressions, reactions, and interactions of your subjects, as well as the atmosphere, mood, and tone of the scenes. You should also use sound, music, and narration to enhance the emotional impact of your b-roll footage. For example, you can use natural sounds to create realism and immersion, music to set the mood and pace, and narration to provide context and commentary.
Don't think of it as capturing b-roll footage. Think of it as capturing moments, feelings, character details, the feel of a place, it's vibe, it's energy! These little moments help enhance the viewer's immersion in the scene because they aren't witnessing a random angle just to help the pacing of the sequence / increase the visual interest, they are feeling a moment which further enriches the story they are being exposed to! It's all about feeling!
Broll adds to your story and builds the emotion in the film. You need to be able to capture that emotion from your characters. And often in documentaries your subject isn't too comfortable on camera, which is normal for most people who aren't used to it. In our recent production about helicopter pilots, the scenes that felt the most natural were those in which the pilots were comfortable and not "posing" or recreating a scene. Once someone is used to the camera then it becomes easier for them to relax and for you to capture their true emotions, so often this means spending a lot of time with the people and over filming to capture that.
B-roll for films are different than B-roll for videos. B-Roll for a film (fiction or documentary) is a crucial part of the storytelling process. Each frame should be conveying something and adding to the story. If it overlaps with the voice of a talking head interview, its purpose is communicate what can’t be fully expressed by the words. If it’s in between segments of interviews, it shouldn’t just be for filler or to hide cuts, it should demonstrate passing of time or accents to the ideas shared. INTENTION IN EVERYTHING
Film people's faces rather than their backs more times than not. Faces convey meaning and emotion and are far more visually interesting.
As a photographer/filmmaker that focuses on wild life and animals in captivity, I believe it is really helpful to be present and be connected to the animals that I wish to film. As I work with them, I not only observe their behavior but also the logic behind their every move: what emotions do they have when they do one thing, and what is the logic behind their other behavior. Each animal has their unique soul and it is important to let them sparkle through our lenses.
B-roll footage is not just a filler or a background for your main story. It can also be a creative tool to convey your vision, style, and voice as a documentary filmmaker. You can use b-roll footage to create contrast, irony, humor, suspense, or symbolism in your documentary. You can also use techniques such as slow motion, time lapse, animation, or graphics to add visual flair and interest to your b-roll footage. You can also experiment with different transitions, effects, and filters to create a unique look and feel for your documentary.
Shoot more than you think you'll need. No, wait...shoot much more. B-roll can serve as the ligaments and tendons that hold a video story together. It allows for logical transitions, points of emphasis, a purely visual communications - where a voiceover can get in the way. If you're into vinyl records, you'll appreciate this. B-roll, back in the day, was considered the "lesser footage," not the key A-roll. Like the B-side of a record was the "lesser song," and the hit was the A-side. That is wrong thinking for video.
I disagree with Steve… think on your feet… visualize the story you’re trying to tell and look for the visuals to support that. Don’t just shoot everything in sight and hope for the best.
After you have captured your b-roll footage, you should review it and refine it to make sure it matches your main story and goals. You should check the quality, relevance, and coherence of your b-roll footage, and eliminate any shots that are blurry, shaky, noisy, or redundant. You should also organize your b-roll footage into categories, such as locations, subjects, themes, or emotions, and label them accordingly. This will help you find and select the best shots for your documentary, and edit them smoothly and efficiently.
If you have organized your thoughts, your beginnings and endings of your story, acts, scenes and threads, you should know what you’ve got before you ever look at it. Give yourself some alternatives, and don’t forget the cutaways…
Deciding which b-roll footage makes the final cut involves careful consideration. Here are my key factors. Relevance to the Main Story: The most important criterion is how well the b-roll supports the main narrative. Does it add context, illustrate a point, or provide necessary information? If not, cut it. Emotional Impact and Mood: Consider the emotional tone or mood you're trying to convey. Pick clips that fit the vibe your creating. Visual Quality and Aesthetics: The technical and aesthetic quality of the footage is crucial. This includes focus, lighting, composition, and color. This is why you shot so much, so you have options. Pacing and Rhythm: How does the b-roll affect the pacing of your story. Watch a scene without audio
Organization of your b-roll cannot be stressed enough. When shooting, taking a little extra time at the end of the day to simply separate footage based upon details (i.e. location, unique content, themes) that are pertinent to your documentary can save you a ton of time and headache later during post. Having to scroll through hours of b-roll during post to find the perfect shot to add the creative subtlety to your scene can drain your overall productivity and ultimately distort the vision for your film. Take the time early to organize and refine after each shoot and you will save yourself later so you can focus on putting the most impactful images forward to tell you story.
Make sure to film different stuff than the good main camera is filming. Another good tactic is to only come film stuff for 6 hours during a really odd part of production. Maybe pick a time when the art dept hasn’t crewed up fully. Or maybe after most of the crew has rolled off. Don’t really talk to anyone or find out what they are doing but try to stand in everyone’s way a lot. Especially near a bounce board or in front of a monitor. Later you can have fun just guessing what everyone is doing and what their job might be as you cut it all down to about 8 minutes.
Shoot shoot shoot! They say there are three films you make during your process: 1. The film you plan 2. The film you shoot 3. The film you edit Things will constantly change as you work through the full process so shoot shoot shoot! You're going to find new ideas and insights when you watch your footage back that will absolutely elevate the final product. If you've gone into the shoot with a clear vision and allowed yourself to overshoot you'll find those new discoveries in the edit.
Shoot interviews early and listen for people, places, and processes they describe. This creates a natural storyboard for you to go out and capture next.
Turn the camera on and then do your best to get it out of the line of site so the subjects really start to forget cameras are there so they don't feel 'on'. You want the most natural responses.
For me it’s very handy to have a ‘reminders’ list on my phone with every shot I need to have and some creative ideas I want to try but aren’t an absolute must have. Like this I find myself better organized and never miss an important topic to shoot.