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Concepts

What's the difference between b-roll and a-roll in video production?

Short answer

A-roll is the primary footage carrying the story, usually interviews or on-camera dialogue. B-roll is supplementary footage that illustrates what's being said and gives the editor cuts to work with. Most documentary-style video is roughly 25% a-roll, 75% b-roll.

A-roll: the spine

A-roll is the footage that carries the words: an interview subject explaining something, a CEO speaking to camera, a customer giving a testimonial. If you watched only the a-roll with no other cuts, the story would still make sense.

B-roll: the visual layer

B-roll is everything that gets cut in over the a-roll: shots of the product being made, the team in motion, exteriors, environmental detail. It's what lets the editor cut around a stumble, condense a 4-minute answer into 30 seconds, and visually support what's being said.

Why the b-roll-to-a-roll ratio matters

If you shoot interviews but skip serious b-roll, you end up with a "talking heads" video that's hard to watch. If you shoot beautiful b-roll but no interviews, you have music-video atmosphere with nothing to say. The right ratio for documentary brand work is roughly 1 hour of interview to 3 to 4 hours of b-roll.

What good b-roll looks like

Specificity and motion. Don't shoot a static wide of the office. Shoot a designer's hands marking up a print, a manager scribbling on a whiteboard, the moment a machinist measures a finished part. The more specific the b-roll, the more it earns its cuts.

Related questions

How much b-roll should I budget for?

For a 3-minute brand film, plan for 3 to 4 hours of b-roll capture. That gives the editor real options instead of a thin pile to choose from.

Can stock footage substitute for b-roll?

Sparingly. Stock can fill gaps (aerial drone shots of a city skyline, generic establishing footage) but it dilutes a brand film fast if used for the actual content.

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More answers

Pricing

How much does corporate video production cost in Chicago?

Corporate video production in Chicago typically costs between $5,000 and $50,000 per finished piece, depending on length, crew size, and how much pre-production strategy is involved. Most B2B companies land in the $15,000 to $30,000 range for a single hero video.

Timeline

How long does a brand film take to produce?

A brand film typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to delivery: about 2 weeks of pre-production, 1 to 3 days of shooting, and 4 to 6 weeks of post-production.

Concepts

What's the difference between a brand film and a corporate video?

A brand film is documentary-style and tells the story of a company's identity, values, or origin in 2 to 5 minutes. A corporate video is functional, usually shorter, and explains a specific product, service, or process to a defined audience.

Logistics

Do you travel for video shoots in the Midwest?

Yes. The Maestro Media is based in Columbia City, Indiana and regularly travels for shoots across Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Travel within a 4-hour drive of Fort Wayne is built into most production estimates.