B-roll

[bee-rohl]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

   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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of B-roll¹

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

Example Sentences

Over soaring music and B-roll of her gazing off at the mountains, Chiles describes Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy as an attempt by lawmakers to “impose their own values” on her and her clients about “which goals” they can set.

From Slate

It showed B-roll shots of gleaming hospitals with futuristic-looking technology.

From Slate

That the purpose is crude — manufacturing B-roll of maltreated foreigners for right-wing media — should not distract from the enormous evil that is here, today, threatening the rights of all.

From Salon

Cinematographer Carlos Rigo and editor Arturo Sosa groove along with eye-catching colors and skateboard-video-style visuals, even inserting B-roll from a camera strapped to a horse’s head and doing a dramatic zoom to a sheep.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Slate