B-Roll Is Underrated
Here’s Why We Always Film More Than We Need
- Markus Pichorner
When you picture a video shoot, you probably think of the main shots — the founder speaking, the product demo, the cinematic drone pass. But what makes a video truly engaging isn’t just the A-roll, it’s the B-roll. Those background shots. The in-between moments. The cutaways that seem like nothing… until you realise they hold everything together.
At our agency, we always film more B-roll than we “need”, and we’ve never regretted it. Here’s why.
It Saves Bad Takes (And Boring Ones)
Let’s be honest: not every take is perfect. Sometimes someone flubs a line. Sometimes the lighting’s just off. But with strong B-roll, you can cover jump cuts, restructure a timeline, or simply hide imperfections without needing to reshoot.
More importantly, B-roll adds rhythm. Even if the talking head content is flawless, cutting to B-roll helps keep viewers engaged. Especially on social platforms where attention spans are measured in seconds.
It Tells the Story Without Saying a Word
Good B-roll does more than just decorate. It communicates brand values, shows context, and builds emotion.
Example: Instead of saying “our team is collaborative,” we show clips of brainstorming sessions, shared laughter, hands sketching on a whiteboard. You feel the culture, rather than being told about it.
That’s storytelling 101, and B-roll is how we deliver it.
It Future-Proofs Your Content
Sometimes, clients come back months later asking for shorter edits, trailers, or vertical cuts for TikTok. When we have a rich archive of B-roll from the original shoot, repurposing is easy. No need for a whole new production day.
It’s an investment, not just in the current project, but in future content you haven’t thought of yet.
It Brings Life to the Edit
Editing without enough B-roll is like cooking with no seasoning. Technically fine, but flat.
B-roll gives your editor tools to work with. It lets them build pace, transition smoothly, match the energy of the music, and create breathing space between lines. With just talking head footage, you’re stuck. With B-roll, you can create.
It Captures the Unexpected
Sometimes the best shots aren’t on the storyboard. It’s the sunlight hitting the coffee cup just right. The dog walking through the frame. The look between colleagues after a pitch.
These shots are gold, and we only get them because we’re always rolling.
TL;DR
B-roll isn’t extra — it’s essential. It saves edits, strengthens storytelling, and makes your video content more flexible, engaging, and emotional. That’s why we shoot more than we “need”… and why our clients are always glad we did.
Got a video in mind? We’ll make sure the camera’s always rolling — even when it’s not “the main shot.”