How to shoot B-roll that makes talking videos watchable
A talking head on its own gets tiring fast. B-roll, the shots you cut to while your voice carries on, keeps the picture changing every few seconds and shows what you are describing instead of only telling.
What counts as B-roll
Close-ups of your hands doing the thing. The product from three angles. The place you are talking about. A screen recording. Even a slow push-in on a mug of coffee works if it fits the topic.
Good B-roll answers the question 'what does that look like?' for whatever you are saying at that moment.
Shoot more than you think
For a 30-second video, film two or three times as much B-roll as you expect to use. Each clip only needs three to five seconds, but having choices makes editing fast.
Hold every shot still for a few seconds before and after any movement. Clips that start and end mid-motion are hard to cut cleanly.
Vary the size
Mix wide, medium and close shots. Cutting between two clips of the same size looks like a glitch; cutting from wide to close looks intentional.
Film details: texture, steam, a screen lighting up. Close-ups read well on a small phone screen.
Use it to hide cuts
Put B-roll over the points where you trimmed a stumble or joined two takes. The voice stays continuous and the jump disappears.
Keep a folder of generic B-roll from your space, such as your desk, hands typing, the view outside, so you always have something to cover a cut.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of footage works as B-roll?
Anything that shows what you are describing: close-ups of your hands, the product from a few angles, the place you mention or a screen recording. Good B-roll answers 'what does that look like?'.
How much B-roll should I film for a 30-second video?
Film two or three times as much as you expect to use. Each clip only needs three to five seconds, but having options makes editing much faster.
Can B-roll hide jump cuts in a talking video?
Yes. Place B-roll over the points where you trimmed a stumble or joined two takes, so the voice stays continuous and the jump disappears from view.