When you create a video, there are two types of essential footage. The first kind, the a-roll, is made up of talking-head interviews that provide information for the consumer and introduce key members of your team. The second, the b-roll, is the supplemental footage of your company in action that lays over the audio from the interviews.
Often, when we prep our shot sheets, we’ll have clients call us and ask why we account so much time to capture b-roll. Many are under the impression that interviews are the bulk of what they need. While testimonials are great, we believe that it’s the background footage, the “b-roll”, that truly shows off your company.
B-roll is the supplementary footage that shows off what your business does and its capabilities. When we film with you, we want to show that your company is busy, has customers, and is a well-oiled machine. This means that we’ll be filming the things that happen every day in your office, from talking over the water cooler to hosting clients in your boardroom. When we put this footage in your video, we’re capturing your company in its prime and showing your company’s culture in a way that you can be proud of.
Aside from simply making you look good, b-roll goes a long way in portraying how your business delivers its services to your customers. Letting your customers see you in action will build brand trust and will mark your and your company’s culture as unique. We know that cameras can be daunting, but we find that we capture the best footage when you simply pretend like the camera is not there. If you’re natural and go about your business as you usually do, the footage will be more genuine and we’ll capture candid moments that you didn’t expect.
Having said that, it’s also important to understand that we may ask you to participate in actions more than once while we’re filming you. To craft a truly great piece for you, there needs to be balance between music, camera movement, lighting, and your actions. Whether we’re having you answer the phone a few times or having you lay out charts for your latest venture, know that we’re doing it to show you off in the best possible light.
Remember to incorporate high-quality b-roll into you videos and we promise that you’ll see a positive return on what you put out. If you’d like to learn more about incorporating b-roll into your marketing videos, give us a call or send us an email inquiry. Be sure to check out our other blogs and to subscribe to our YouTube series “The Fresh Take” for the latest updates on the world of video marketing!