B-roll
Encyclopedia
B-roll, B roll, or Broll is the supplemental or alternate footage
intercut with the main shot in an interview
or documentary
.
production from an original camera negative
. Frames of workprint
and of original negative are matched exactly through the use of edge numbers
that appeared on each frame of original and work print. But the original was not strung together in a simple linear fashion as was the work print. Instead, the original was edited in a "checkerboard
" pattern, with each shot synchronized to an equal length of opaque leader on a second roll. These "A and B" rolls functioned equally to make blind splices, fades, and dissolves
possible. Each roll was printed separately onto a single roll of raw stock to produce projection prints. The process is described in the 1982 edition of the "Recommended Procedures" of the Association of Cinema and Video Laboratories, and in the classic text, Film and its techniques.
Then the term B-roll was adopted for the older form of linear-based editing
and the common naming conventions used by most television production facilities. Traditionally, the tape decks
in an edit suite were labelled by letter, with the 'A' deck being the one containing the main tape upon which the interview material was shot. The 'B' deck was used to run tapes that held additional footage that often supported comments or descriptions made by the interview subject. Before the advance of A/B editing systems, most editors only had precise control over two decks — their record deck and one source deck, which was typically the 'A' deck. Whenever an editor wanted to do a live dissolve from material on the 'A' deck to footage on the 'B' deck during an edit, s/he often had to manually roll (i.e. play) the 'B' deck at the appropriate moment before the dissolve was made — hence the jargon B-roll was born, most likely as a carry-over from the multi-source construction of 16 mm prints. Also, as linear editing systems were unable to dissolve between clips on the same tape, an edit decision list
(EDL) can mark such clips as "b-roll" to indicate that they should be dubbed onto another tape to make the dissolve possible.
Other historical references to the term relate back to traditional camera naming conventions. The 'A' camera and crew ran the main interview camera while the 'B' camera and crew typically shot the additional support material. The term may have evolved then through the listing of tapes a single camera crew shoots — with the 'A' tape containing the interview footage and the 'B' tape containing the support material.
s: the visuals may cut away to B roll footage of what the person is talking about while the A camera zooms in, then cut back after the zoom is complete. The cutaway to B roll footage can also be used to hide verbal or physical tic
s that the editor and/or director finds distracting: with the audio separate from the video, the filmmakers are free to excise "uh"s, sniffs, coughs, and so forth. Similarly, a contextually irrelevant part of a sentence or anecdote can be removed to construct a more effective, succinct delivery. This can also be used to change the meaning of the speaker to fit the view of the producer. In fiction film, the technique can be used to indicate simultaneous action or flashback
s, usually increasing tension or revealing information.
"B roll" also refers to footage provided free of charge to broadcast news organizations as a means of gaining free publicity. For example, an automobile maker might shoot a video of its assembly line, hoping that segments will be used in stories about the new model year. "B roll" sometimes makes its way into stock footage
libraries.
Footage
In filmmaking and video production, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work...
intercut with the main shot in an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
or documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
.
History
The term B-roll originates from the method of 16 mm film16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
production from an original camera negative
Original camera negative
The original camera negative is the film in a motion picture camera which captures the original image. This is the film from which all other copies will be made. It is known as raw stock prior to exposure....
. Frames of workprint
Workprint
A workprint is a rough version of a motion picture, used by the film editor during the editing process. Such copies generally contain original recorded sound that will later be re-dubbed, stock footage as placeholders for missing shots or special effects, and animation tests for in-production...
and of original negative are matched exactly through the use of edge numbers
Keykode
KeyKode is an Eastman Kodak Company advancement on edge numbers, which are letters, numbers and symbols placed at regular intervals along the edge of 35 mm and 16 mm film to allow for frame-by-frame specific identification...
that appeared on each frame of original and work print. But the original was not strung together in a simple linear fashion as was the work print. Instead, the original was edited in a "checkerboard
Checkerboard
A checkerboard or chequerboard is a board of chequered pattern on which English draughts is played. It is an 8×8 board and the 64 squares are of alternating dark and light color, often red and black....
" pattern, with each shot synchronized to an equal length of opaque leader on a second roll. These "A and B" rolls functioned equally to make blind splices, fades, and dissolves
Dissolve (filmmaking)
In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a dissolve is a gradual transition from one image to another. The terms fade-out and fade-in and are used to describe a transition to and from a blank image. This is in contrast to a cut where there is no such transition. A dissolve...
possible. Each roll was printed separately onto a single roll of raw stock to produce projection prints. The process is described in the 1982 edition of the "Recommended Procedures" of the Association of Cinema and Video Laboratories, and in the classic text, Film and its techniques.
Then the term B-roll was adopted for the older form of linear-based editing
Linear video editing
Linear video editing is a video editing post-production process of selecting, arranging and modifying images and sound in a predetermined, ordered sequence. Regardless whether captured by a video camera, tapeless camcorder, recorded in a television studio on a video tape recorder the content must...
and the common naming conventions used by most television production facilities. Traditionally, the tape decks
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
in an edit suite were labelled by letter, with the 'A' deck being the one containing the main tape upon which the interview material was shot. The 'B' deck was used to run tapes that held additional footage that often supported comments or descriptions made by the interview subject. Before the advance of A/B editing systems, most editors only had precise control over two decks — their record deck and one source deck, which was typically the 'A' deck. Whenever an editor wanted to do a live dissolve from material on the 'A' deck to footage on the 'B' deck during an edit, s/he often had to manually roll (i.e. play) the 'B' deck at the appropriate moment before the dissolve was made — hence the jargon B-roll was born, most likely as a carry-over from the multi-source construction of 16 mm prints. Also, as linear editing systems were unable to dissolve between clips on the same tape, an edit decision list
Edit decision list
An edit decision list or EDL used in the post-production process of film editing and video editing. The list contains an ordered list of reel and timecode data representing where each video clip can be obtained in order to conform the final cut....
(EDL) can mark such clips as "b-roll" to indicate that they should be dubbed onto another tape to make the dissolve possible.
Other historical references to the term relate back to traditional camera naming conventions. The 'A' camera and crew ran the main interview camera while the 'B' camera and crew typically shot the additional support material. The term may have evolved then through the listing of tapes a single camera crew shoots — with the 'A' tape containing the interview footage and the 'B' tape containing the support material.
Contemporary uses of the term
The term "B-roll" is now limited to secondary footage that adds meaning to a sequence or disguises the elimination of unwanted content. This technique of using the cutaway is common to hide zooms in documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
s: the visuals may cut away to B roll footage of what the person is talking about while the A camera zooms in, then cut back after the zoom is complete. The cutaway to B roll footage can also be used to hide verbal or physical tic
Tic
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups. Tics can be invisible to the observer, such as abdominal tensing or toe crunching. Common motor and phonic tics are, respectively, eye blinking and throat clearing...
s that the editor and/or director finds distracting: with the audio separate from the video, the filmmakers are free to excise "uh"s, sniffs, coughs, and so forth. Similarly, a contextually irrelevant part of a sentence or anecdote can be removed to construct a more effective, succinct delivery. This can also be used to change the meaning of the speaker to fit the view of the producer. In fiction film, the technique can be used to indicate simultaneous action or flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
s, usually increasing tension or revealing information.
"B roll" also refers to footage provided free of charge to broadcast news organizations as a means of gaining free publicity. For example, an automobile maker might shoot a video of its assembly line, hoping that segments will be used in stories about the new model year. "B roll" sometimes makes its way into stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
libraries.