01
How do you choose B-roll that supports what the speaker is saying?
Match each cutaway to a specific sentence. B-roll works when it shows the thing being described at the moment it is described: the warehouse when the speaker mentions shipping, the team at a whiteboard when they talk about planning, a customer at the counter when they talk about service. Generic shots of hands on keyboards or city skylines fill time without adding information, and viewers learn to ignore them.
Cut to B-roll on a natural pause or the start of a phrase, and come back to the speaker for the sentence that carries the main point, so the audience sees who is making the claim. Build a shot list from the script before filming: underline every noun and action the speaker mentions and plan one or two shots for each. That list is what turns a talking-head recording into a corporate video that explains rather than simply records.
02
What B-roll should a company film so the editor has enough to work with?
More variety than seems necessary, in short, steady clips. For each location, film a wide shot that shows the whole space, a medium shot of people working, and several close details — hands, products, screens, tools, signage. Hold each shot still for around ten seconds; short clips with movement in the first and last second are difficult to use.
Film people doing their real work rather than posing, and get permission from anyone who will be recognisable. Avoid screens showing confidential information and whiteboards with client names. Capture a few moments with movement through the space, such as a slow walk down a corridor or someone opening a door, which help the editor move between ideas. Label the folders by location and send a short note naming any shot that must not be used, so nothing sensitive reaches the final cut.
