B roll
Background video clips
B roll is supplementary video footage that editors intercut with the main shot.
In interviews and documentaries, B roll provides visual variety while the primary audio continues—shots of hands, landscapes, or relevant activities that illustrate what's being discussed: We need more B roll of the factory floor.
The term comes from the days when editors spliced between two film reels, A and B.
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- spliceJoin end to end
- montageAssembled sequence of images
- sequenceOrdered succession of elements
- overlayCovering placed atop
insert · juxtaposition · continuity · cross-cutting · cut-in · establishing shot · reaction shot · intercut
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- establishing shotsFootage showing scene location
- stock footageLicensed prerecorded video segments
- cut-insSpliced interstitial footage
- reaction shotsFootage of observers responding
overlay · filler · coverage · beauty shots
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- segueUnbroken passage between sections
- crossfadeGradual audio overlap transition
- dissolveDisperse into liquid
- fade inGradual visual appearance
fade out · wipe · fade to black · bridge · buffer · breathing room · scene change
Illustrative materials for comprehension
- illustrativeServing to explain
- contextualRelative to surrounding conditions
- interviewsFormal evaluative conversations
- voice-overOff-screen spoken commentary
documentary · montage · scene-setting · subtext · exposition · pacing · tension · contrast
cutaway
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overlay · insert · juxtaposition · continuity · cross-cutting · cut-in · establishing shot · reaction shot · intercut · assembly
cutaway
View with exterior removed
- establishing shotsFootage showing scene location
- stock footageLicensed prerecorded video segments
- cut-insSpliced interstitial footage
reaction shots · overlay · filler · coverage · beauty shots
cutaway
View with exterior removed
- segueUnbroken passage between sections
- crossfadeGradual audio overlap transition
- dissolveDisperse into liquid
fade in · fade out · wipe · fade to black · bridge · buffer · breathing room · scene change
visual aids
Illustrative materials for comprehension
- illustrativeServing to explain
- contextualRelative to surrounding conditions
- interviewsFormal evaluative conversations
voice-over · documentary · montage · scene-setting · subtext · exposition · pacing · tension · contrast · symbolism
ambiance
Mood of surroundings
vibe · texture · feel · flavor · character · context · environment · scenery · backdrop · landscape
B rollinterview footage
Recorded segments of questioning
talking head · interview · principal photography · hero shot · money shot