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Alright, alright, alright.
My name is Elliot Rosen
with StudioBinder.
And if you've ever
wondered what is B-Roll
and how do you shoot it
then this is a video for you.
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I'm going to show you 3 Pro tips
on how to shoot amazing B-roll.
Plan it.
Work smart not hard.
And maximize your time.
Before we begin,
don't forget to hit that subscribe button
and click that bell icon
to stay in the loop.
All right,
so let's rewind the clock.
Back in the old days,
filmmakers use two
separate rolls of film.
One was labeled "A."
And one was labeled "B."
A-Roll can be considered
your main story or subject.
And then B-Roll is everything
that you cut away to
that bridges the
gaps in your story.
B-Roll can hide mistakes
or jump cuts in the A-Roll.
It visually tells your story.
And if you're clever,
B-Roll can be a visual motif
used to enhance your story.
Depending on your shoot,
B-Roll is typically shot M.O.S.
which is just a fancy film
school term for "No sound."
Documentaries often
use B-Roll as coverage
when it gets boring looking at
the same dude drone on all day,
they cover it with b-roll
to keep it interesting.
Now on the other
hand a narrative film
might use b-roll for
a different reason.
To enhance their script.
"- Hello. I'm here.
- Hi."
Take this example from Spike
Jones's cyber romance film "Her."
In this story, the main character
has fallen in love with his Siri.
"- Last night was amazing.
I feels like something...
changed in me and
there's no turning back.
You woke me up."
She's evolving too fast,
and they're starting
to drift apart.
"- Are you leaving me?
- We're all leaving."
When she starts to explain what's
going on with her they cut to...
This B-Roll shot.
This B-Roll shot is
used intentionally
to visually symbolize
how her consciousness
is as intangible
as that dust
clinging to the wall.
Siri, will you date me?
- I don't really date humans.
- If you're an indie filmmaker,
here is my first tip.
Plan it.
Figure out the what,
when and how beforehand.
We're going to use StudioBinder's
production software
to organize our B-Roll shots.
Elements such as...
Actors.
Props.
Camera.
Movement.
The list goes on.
Tip number two.
Work smart not hard.
Professional films rarely ever
shoot in chronological order
and neither should you.
Does your b-roll shot
involve an actor?
Well, actors usually have
really tight schedule
so you'll want to
get that first.
If you're limited on time
don't go across town
to grab a B-Roll shot.
Shoot it in your
immediate surroundings.
Got a lunch break?
Sounds like a great opportunity
to get your time-lapse shot.
Those are some
really simple tips
that aren't going to add any
extra time to your shoot.
Tip number three.
Maximize your time.
Use cinematic techniques
like shallow depth-of-field.
Slow-mo.
And gimbals to get the most
out of your B-Roll shots.
These techniques not only give
you amazing cinematic footage,
but they're also
really time effective.
If you shoot your B-Roll in a
shallow depth of field like f 1.4.,
it blurs any distracting
elements in the background
and you get that beautiful
cinematic background.
Shoot in slow-mo framerates,
like 60 or 120 frames per second
to turn one second of
footage into three seconds.
Try setting up your camera on
a dolly or gimbal beforehand,
so you can get that
cinematic camera motion.
You can always choose to
keep the camera static
but it's good to keep
your options open.
Okay, let's take an example.
Let's say you have a script
with a line of dialogue
that reads I buried
her under that tree.
It's probably a
great time to cut to
you guessed it b-roll.
So I'm going to mark it
down in my shot list.
And depending on how you
shoot your B-Roll shot,
it can have a totally
different meaning.
Let's say you want
to make it seem
like something evil is
buried underneath there.
I'll shoot this B-Roll shot in a
low angle and dolly-in very quickly
to emphasize the importance
of that specific spot.
But let's take a totally different
stance on the same line of dialogue.
Let's say that was actually
a sad heartfelt line
and I want the audience
to perceive this tree
as a peaceful final
resting place.
So instead, I'll shoot this
B-Roll shot at eye level
and a wide-angle lens
to catch that sun flare.
And then I'll add a little bit of
dolly movement to give it some grace.
Both of these shots
are B-Roll shots
recorded with the exact same
equipment and camera settings,
but the shot specs are
slightly different.
With just a little
bit of upfront thought
and some minor adjustments
to the shallows
they communicate totally
different meanings for your story.
And I was able to shoot
both of these shots
within one minute of each other
because I properly
maximize my time.
So what are some of your
favorite types of B-Roll shots?
How do you go about
shooting them?
We love to hear from you,
so let us know in the comments.
And if you're planning a
shoot with some B-Roll shots,
you're probably going to
want a shot list them, right?
Check out the description below
to sign up for StudioBinder is
totally free to get started.
And don't forget to subscribe
to our YouTube channel
and click the bell
for notifications.
We have a ton of
videos like this
and we love to
show you some more.
And now let's cut away to
some StudioBinder B-Roll.
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