A two-minute interview of a single talking head, no matter how good the content, asks a lot of the viewer's attention. B-roll is what keeps them watching. It's the footage that plays over the audio so the visual changes while the speaker keeps talking. Here's how to capture it and hand it to your editor.
Pro tip: Capture 5-10 B-roll clips for every interview. The editor needs options to cut away to, or the video is just a static head.
What counts as B-roll
B-roll is any supporting footage that isn't the main interview. The product in use, the workspace, hands doing the work, the environment, close-ups of whatever the speaker is describing. It doesn't need to be cinematic. It needs to give the editor something to cut to so the screen isn't a motionless face for two straight minutes. Anything visually relevant to what's being said qualifies.
Capture 5 to 10 clips per interview at multiple angles
Aim for five to ten B-roll clips for every interview, shot from a few different angles. The editor uses them to cover cuts, illustrate points, and keep the visual moving. Too few and the video falls back to the static talking head; plenty and the editor can make even a long interview feel dynamic. Multiple angles of the same thing give the editor cutting options that a single angle can't.
Upload B-roll alongside the interview or link existing content
When you submit the interview for editing, upload the B-roll clips alongside it in the same request. If you already have relevant footage sitting in MarketScale, link to that existing content instead of re-uploading. Either way, the editor needs the B-roll attached to the request, not described and missing, so they can actually use it on the first cut instead of asking for it later.
Describe stock footage in the Complementary Clips field
When you don't have your own B-roll for something, use the Complementary Clips field to describe the stock footage you want. "Cutaway of a busy warehouse." "Close-up of hands typing on a laptop." The editor can source matching stock to cover the gaps. Describing it specifically gets you closer than leaving it blank and hoping the editor guesses what visual belongs over that section.
Try it this week
On your next interview, spend five extra minutes capturing 5 to 10 B-roll clips of the environment and whatever the speaker describes. Upload them with the interview in MarketScale, and use the Complementary Clips field to describe any stock you need. The finished video will hold attention in a way a bare talking head never could.