WorkReels videos are different from any other workplace video creation tool out there. WorkReels utilizes two types of filming to tell a more compelling video story. Everybody knows about interview or speaking parts where someone is talking to a camera. But what makes a video interesting is called B-roll – the background or contextual footage that fills in what the viewer wants to see.
What is B-Roll?
Chances are, even if you don’t think you know what B-Roll is, you’ve definitely encountered it in your life. B-roll is just a term that refers to video clips that don’t feature someone speaking as the main focal point and focus more on setting the scene. Think about the last documentary you saw and you’ll understand. Documentaries very often use interviews with subjects mixed in with environmental footage. For instance, in a documentary about factory farming, you may see an interview with a climate change expert about the impact of these farms on animal well-being with a video of those animals shown while the person is speaking. The video of the animals would be considered B-Roll. Or if you're telling a story about an awesome new hotel that just opened, you might hear someone talk about the exciting features it has while you see video of those features play over the screen.
To see this in action, check out the video below.
FAQ
Okay, now that you’ve heard and seen what makes B-Roll B-Roll, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions below.
How long should B-Roll be?
A WorkReels B-Roll scene can last anywhere from 10 seconds to 1 minute. Anything shorter than 10 seconds is likely too short for the editor to use.
How much B-Roll do we need?
WorkReels storylines have been crafted to include the optimum amount of B-Roll. If you decide to create your own, you should record twice as many B-Roll scenes as you have interview scenes to ensure your editors have enough B-Roll to use.
Do we have to film B-Roll?
WorkReels storylines are structured with B-Roll as an integral part of the storyline. You can create a storyline from scratch without B-Roll, but we strongly recommend the inclusion of B-Roll as it tells a more compelling story than videos without B-Roll.
To summarize, B-Roll is a powerful tool when used correctly. It can feel a little intimidating at first, but makes all the difference when you see it in your final WorkReels video.