3 Ways to Reuse B-Roll Footage
Over the last 12+ years, we have filmed a lot of b-roll. Well, maybe not right now, but typically, we film a lot of b-roll. Whether intentional or not, oftentimes we actually end up having a pretty sizable b-roll library for most of our clients. And wince our shoots can be 1+tb of storage space per shoot, oftentimes our clients prefer for us to simply keep a continuously growing collection of b-roll from each shoot as we do them. And thanks to our ever-growing storage systems, we’re happy to help! So let’s say you’ve done a number of projects with us, or even just one, and we have some extra footage. What are some creative uses of that footage so you can get the most bang for your buck?
B-Roll Reuse 1: Breakout Videos
A common occurrence for us is for a client to do a long form video that gets approved and published – and then they like the concept and reception so much they decide they want to “multi-purpose” it. For example, we could make a video consisting of 4-5 people who each talk to a specific area of interest, and then use that footage to make a 2-4 minute video. That might be great for an event, but that is generally too long for social media usage. So then we will take additional b-roll and “break out” the 4-5 people into their own individual videos. We use the b-roll to fill the gaps and close up the narrative, and the client then has multiple videos they can use in different situations. Long form for meetings, short form for social, etc.
Reuse 2: Hero Videos
It’s a popular web design trend for web pages to have muted, continuously-looping video on key pages of their website. These are often called “hero” videos and they’re usually made up of a collection of beauty shots and placed in a prominent, “heroic” spot on the page. Oftentimes these are a mix of drone exteriors, slow-motion collaboration shots, complex machinery at work, etc. Well, those types of shots are exactly what we film for other videos! So oftentimes if a client is looking for a hero video, we can compile one rapidly, with no additional shoot cost needed. Win-win.
Reuse 3: Sizzle Pieces
Sometimes our clients are looking for a fast-paced, “demo reel” type of video. These are often used for catching attention – like at a trade show or a lobby display or are combined with a VO or on-screen animations and graphics to create a high-energy, narrative piece. Since these videos typically rely on fast cutting and highly stylized edits, a large library of b-roll is key to doing them correctly. We have historically had great success with these types of projects, because from our client’s perspective their involvement can be pretty minor. For example, if a client says “in the middle, work in a few shots from Shop Floor #2”, if they’re a long time client, we probably have folders and folders of content from Shop Floor #2, so we can slot it in easily, with plenty of options. There are plenty of other options out there to reuse footage we already have or assets you can provide to create a video that feel fresh and new – and most importantly right now – doesn't require a video shoot. So reach out, let's talk and together we can keep making great content no matter what.
