A-Roll vs B-Roll: what creators need to know
Learn the difference between A-Roll and B-Roll and why brands often request both
Understanding the difference between A-Roll and B-Roll is an important skill for any UGC creator. Together, these two types of footage help brands create engaging content and give editors more flexibility when producing ads.
What Is A-Roll?
A-Roll is the main footage of your video. It's the primary content that delivers the message and tells the story.
A-Roll typically includes:
- Product reviews;
- Tutorials and demonstrations;
- Testimonials;
- Your honest opinion about a product;
- On-camera speaking and reactions.
Think of A-Roll as the foundation of your content. It's where you connect directly with the audience and explain the value of the product or service.
What Is B-Roll?
B-Roll is supporting footage that complements the A-Roll.
It provides additional visuals that help illustrate what you're talking about and makes the content more engaging to watch.
Examples of B-Roll include:
- Product close-ups;
- Unboxing footage;
- Packaging shots;
- Screen recordings;
- Lifestyle footage using the product;
- Before-and-after shots;
- Additional angles and detail shots.
B-Roll is often layered over A-Roll during editing to create visual variety and maintain viewer attention.
Why Do Brands Request Both?
Brands use A-Roll and B-Roll for different purposes.
A-Roll helps deliver the message clearly and authentically through your personality, voice, and experience.
B-Roll provides additional visual assets that brands can use to:
- Improve the final edit;
- Create multiple content variations;
- Test different advertising concepts;
- Repurpose content across different channels.
In many cases, a brand can create several different ads from a single content shoot simply by combining different A-Roll and B-Roll clips.
Best Practices
When creating content for brands:
- Record clear and engaging A-Roll footage;
- Capture more B-Roll than you think you'll need;
- Film B-Roll from multiple angles;
- Include close-up shots of the product whenever possible;
- Make sure all footage is well-lit and easy to understand.
Providing both strong A-Roll and B-Roll footage gives brands more creative flexibility and can increase your chances of being hired again for future campaigns.