B-rolls
Companies are increasingly offering good b-roll images to the media as an effective way of enhancing their public persona. Here’s our guide to their key features:
What are b-rolls?
They are videos incorporating a series of shots relating to a company and its activities.
Who uses them?
TV news outlets, documentary makers, corporate producers and web video channels. The chances are that you see far more b-roll material than you imagine. They are also a useful resource for in-house use.
Why do they use them?
Usually because they are free and the cost is borne by the company which commissions them. They are also used when there is no alternative – it may be impossible to shoot a particular scenario for security or technical reasons.
Why are they called b-rolls?
A-roll footage is used in primary part of the story whereas b-roll is the background element and the name has stuck. They could just as easily be called stock footage tapes.
What do they consist of?
Any footage that is unchanging and could be useful to a programme maker. Maybe a store frontage, a factory floor, shots of a product, a technical process, the managing director in action – the list is endless and each one is appropriate to a particular company.
How they are shot?
They are shot like any news story and presented as a series of trimmed rushes. The company has control over the footage so all the images are positive.
How are they presented?
At Footagefile they are offered as downloadable video files. They are not too long – we consider between 1 and 3 minutes a comfortable length.
