4.4 Strategy 3: A-Roll/B-Roll

A. Strategy 3: A-Roll + B-Roll

B. Visuals

When filming for a news story, the person behind the camera gets both a-roll and b-roll footage.  Both are needed to tell a news story!

A-Roll

  • Shows the main footage and the central focus

B-Roll

  •  Footage that supports the a-roll and helps tell the story

All visuals are important because they help to tell the story.  

Example: A reporter interviews a school bus driver about the overcrowding of school buses. Instead of just showing the interview with the bus driver (a-roll), the story shows footage of students riding 3 to a seat (b-roll). Now the viewers aren’t just hearing about how there is a problem – they are seeing it with their own eyes!

C. You Be the Editor!

Ramy is part of a team of people who works on a news story.  Another team member is an editor.  You will play the role of the editor, who adds b-roll.

Directions: 

  1. Re-watch the news story below.
  2. Identify the b-roll in this news story. 
  3. Brainstorm two other ways you could add b-roll to make this news story even stronger. 
  4. Write your ideas in your Mission Log.