Top Tips: Shooting B-Roll

You will often hear about B-roll when shooting video, but what exactly is it, and why should you shoot it? Put very basically, B-roll is any footage that isn't your main video. It's the footage that adds context, character, and detail - close-ups, location shots, and scenes that help tell your story.

The good news? You don't need a special camera to shoot great B-roll. Whether you're using a ZV camera, an FX cinema line camera, or an Alpha mirrorless camera, Sony's latest models have the features you need. The techniques and tools discussed in this article are available across the range, so you can start shooting B-roll with the camera you already own.

‘Theyyam’ uses close-up details, wide shots and slow-motion to tell the story of the ancient festival’

When to Use B-roll

B-roll doesn't just serve as a storytelling device; it has many practical uses. It helps keep a viewer's attention - watch a film or TV show and count how many seconds a shot is held before a cut. You may be surprised by how quick cuts are. More importantly, B-roll solves a common editing problem: when you need to cut out a mistake or pause, rather than making an awkward jump cut, you can cut to B-roll before returning to your main footage. It also helps illustrate whatever the subject is talking about - if you're interviewing a chef, cut to close-up footage of him cooking whilst his words continue to narrate over the top.

How Many shots and how long?

As a general rule, aim for 3-5 different angles of whatever you're shooting: a wide establishing shot, a medium shot closer to the action, and close-up details. Add variety with different heights - shoot from eye level, then take advantage of your Sony's articulated screen to shoot low to the ground or overhead. This is the 45 Degree Rule in action: every new shot should be from at least a 45-degree angle from the last, whether that's moving around your subject or changing height. Keeping the B-roll clips distinct prevents them from appearing like awkward jump cuts.

And don't worry about eating up memory card space. Hit record and watch the timer - aim for just 5-10 seconds per clip. That's more than enough for most B-roll cuts. The exception is capturing complete actions like pouring a drink or someone walking across a room - record the whole movement, then use the part you need in the edit.

Shoot handheld

You can quickly capture many different-angle shots when you're shooting handheld. The latest Sony Alpha, ZV and FX cameras have 5-axis SteadyShot stabilisation and Active SteadyShot. This stabilisation will help counter any camera movement, allowing you to shoot your B-roll handheld without a gimbal.

‘Where Passion Moves’ shows how it is possible to film a subject from many different angles to create a story.

Autofocus

Real-Time Tracking AF, combined with the touchscreen, is an excellent feature for shooting B-roll. Simply touch the screen where you want to track and let your Sony camera and lens lock focus so that you can concentrate on composition and movement.

White Balance

It's essential to set your white balance rather than leaving your camera on Auto. As you move around a scene, the lighting and colour may change, which could cause auto white balance to shift. Choose a setting and stick to it to avoid colour jumps between shots.

Lenses

You don't need special lenses to shoot B-roll - it's more about getting into different positions. That said, a zoom lens can be your best friend for quickly capturing a variety of shots. The Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G is great for video, offering a natural perspective. Create wide establishing shots at 24mm, use 50mm to punch in for detail, or set it to around 35mm for natural-looking mid-shots.

For greater reach and beautiful subject isolation, the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II delivers compressed, cinematic shots and lets you capture details from a distance. For extreme close-ups, the FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS is perfect for revealing textures, product details, and tiny elements that bring visual interest to your B-roll.

In ‘I love you, bro’, the scenes are captured from multiple angles with many creative shots, keeping the viewers engaged and adding to the narrative.

Crop mode

Depending on your camera, you can use APS-C/Super 35mm crop mode - either by setting it in-camera (Menu > Image Quality > APS-C/S35 Shooting) or by using Active SteadyShot, which uses a Super 35 mm section of the sensor. This image cropping for a more 'zoomed-in' look is excellent for close-up detail shots. For example, it means a 50mm lens will look more like a 75mm lens. Access this even quicker by assigning APS-C/S35 Shooting to a Custom Button.

AF Transition Speed

The touchscreen of your Sony camera is a powerful tool for creating engaging B-roll. You can shift the focus area by simply touching different parts of the scene. By changing the AF Transition Speed (AF/MF > AF Transition Speed) to a slower speed of around 4-5, you can create a beautiful, smooth focus shift that makes for engaging B-roll footage.