How to Shoot B-Roll With Your iPhone: Panning,Tilting, and More

Many videos are composed of two main elements: one is the interview portion, what your video is telling, and the B-Roll, which is great for showing. For example, think of the evening news. They start with an interview of a witness to an event and then will show footage of that event, or the aftermath. All the while the interview is still going on, but this “B-Roll” is punctuating what the interviewee is saying. It’s a great visual emphasis.

So how do you get great B-Roll?

Watch the video below for some helpful tips and tricks.

The more B-Roll the better

Make sure to vary your shots. If you only emphasize one thing in the interview make sure to shoot it a number of different ways; get close-ups, wide shots, and interesting angles. This gives your editor more material to work with and helps to add variety and interest to the video.

While you’re shooting

• Get close – bring the camera right up to a subject to show texture & details

• Get high and low – a bird’s eye view or ant’s eye view may change the perspective entirely

• Get sound – you might have to let your subjects know it’s okay to make some noise

When capturing your B-Roll, make a checklist in your mind: Do I have a wide shot? Do I have a close up? Did I move the camera on this object? If yes, move on to your next shot. This will ensure that you capture a varied library of footage. Remember, it’s better to overshoot than to not have enough to edit with!

Don’t want shaky B-Roll? Check out this post on how to use a tripod with your iPhone.

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