B-roll Tips for Better Video Production

B-Roll – The Junk Drawer of Video Production

Why Episode 11 Productions is Basically the Avengers

Let’s set the scene.

You’re on set. Lights are up. The CEO is sitting there looking like they just learned what “camera-ready” means five minutes ago. Someone yells “Action,” and magic happens… kind of. They talk. They blink. They look at the camera. Then they talk some more.

Congratulations, you’ve just shot the most boring footage in modern history.

But hey — no problem, right? Because surely you’ve got plenty of B-roll to spice it up, right?

…right?

Cue the dramatic zoom-in on your editor’s face as they scroll through footage, whispering, “Why are there fifteen shots of the same paperclip… and nothing else?”

What is B-roll

Here’s the deal: B-roll is like that drawer in your kitchen full of expired batteries, birthday candles, and three different-sized rubber bands. It’s chaos, sure. But the moment you need a twist tie or a AAA battery at 2 a.m., that drawer becomes your best friend.

And in video production, B-roll is that twist tie. That forgotten blessing. That crucial shot of someone dramatically opening a door or typing at a keyboard like they’re disarming a nuclear bomb.

Why B-roll is Important

Imagine a documentary where a firefighter talks about saving lives — but the whole time, it’s just one locked-off shot of his nose in 4K. No flames. No action. No close-up of the boots. No heroic stare into the distance while a dog barks in the background.

That’s not a documentary — that’s a hostage situation filmed by someone who gave up on life.

Or worse — imagine a coffee shop promo video without any actual footage of coffee. Just a barista saying, “We love beans,” while the camera stares at a beige wall like it owes it money.

This is where B-roll saves your video. A pour-over in slow motion. A steam cloud rising like the spirit of creativity. A customer giggling at foam art shaped like a bear. THAT’S the good stuff.

And guess who’s capturing all of that? Episode 11 Productions.

These folks don’t “add B-roll.” No, no. They hunt it like treasure. They craft it like an artisanal bread. They see an empty hallway and film it like it’s the climax of an indie film about love and loss.

They’ve been doing this long enough to know that one well-timed cut to a slow-motion handshake or a shot of someone confidently nodding while pointing at a laptop can turn a corporate snoozefest into an Emmy-winning experience.

When Episode 11 shows up to shoot your project, they don’t just get the interview. They get:

•A close-up of your team high-fiving like they just discovered cold fusion.
•The dramatic push-in on your company’s logo like it’s the Bat-Signal.
•A forklift operator looking into the distance as inspirational music swells.
•Hands flipping through paperwork like it’s classified CIA intel.
•The exact moment Karen from HR takes a sip of coffee, gazes into the distance, and looks like she’s contemplating the future of the company and humanity itself.

That’s the power of intentional B-roll • That’s the magic Episode 11 delivers.

Let’s get nerdy with stats.

You want numbers? Fine. Here’s what the science folks say:

•80% of marketers claim video helps increase engagement when it includes B-roll that enhances storytelling. (HubSpot, 2021)

•Viewers watch 2.6x longer when the footage includes visual variety like cutaways and supplemental footage. (Wistia)

•64% of consumers make a purchase after watching a video that connects emotionally — and emotional connection requires visual storytelling, not just a guy droning on. (Animoto, 2020)

•In 2024, brands that used thoughtful B-roll reported a 22% lift in viewer retention compared to those that relied solely on talking heads. (Statista/Marketing Dive)

•100% of editors agree: “If you don’t shoot B-roll, don’t call me at 3 a.m. asking if I can ‘just make it look cooler.’” (Unofficial Survey of Editors Who Are Tired of Your Nonsense)

The Moral of the B-roll Story?

Don’t be that person. Don’t be the one who skimps on B-roll and ends up with a lifeless video narrated by someone who sounds like they’re reading instructions off a shampoo bottle.

Call Episode 11 Productions. They’ve got the gear. They’ve got the eye. They’ve got the “Oh yeah, we already got that shot of sparks flying in the background while the guy walks in slo-mo with a wrench” energy. They’re the video production team that opens up the junk drawer of creativity and finds gold.

Because your story deserves more than a talking head and a stock photo fade-out.

It deserves drama. Beauty. Emotion.

It deserves ridiculously good B-roll.