B-roll

[ bee-rohl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

stock footage from film or digital libraries used to establish locale, atmosphere, etc., or to provide generic thematic video, such as for a category of television news story.
video footage shot for a story, television show, or film, often by a secondary film crew, especially depicting building exteriors and used to establish the locale in which a film or show is set: Compare A-roll.
The actors all filmed in Toronto, but the show’s opening theme song played over B-roll of the New York skyline and a block of brownstones.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of B-roll¹

First recorded in 1980–85; A-roll ( def )

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The footage often opened with b-roll from around the neighborhood, followed by introductions to hidden neighborhood gems, like coffee shops or restaurants.

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I often think of it as like B-roll that I’m shooting on that first day.

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As for how Allred has been going after Cruz, though, consider the B-roll shown in the second half of this response ad.

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So when they brought in the script, they had a guy come in to shoot some B-roll for the DVD.

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I would have liked a little boring local culture instead of the B-roll clips that speed by between scenes — lots of chickens — but that’s just me.

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brolga brolly

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