If you’re making videos to attract and engage your audience, here’s how to use AI for B-roll to level up your content and workflow.
B-roll has been around in video production since the beginning of filmmaking. Since the first movies were shown on the big screen, this secondary footage has been a must-have for storytellers because it provides context, keeps the viewer interested, and improves production value.
While A-roll represents the main footage, B-roll provides necessary context and visual support, helping to create smooth transitions and establish scenes in both scripted and unscripted video content.
In case you haven’t used AI for a B-roll before, it can be overwhelming at first. We’ll show you how to add an AI-powered B-roll to your workflow and meet your audience’s expectations.
What is a B-roll footage?
B-roll is the foundation of video production, with secondary footage supporting the main story. This secondary visual content, which typically supports the main action referred to as A-roll footage, adds context, keeps the viewer interested, and adds depth to the story.
Before, B-roll acquisition meant dedicated shoots or stock footage. Film crews would shoot extra scenes, often without sound, to later intercut with the central footage. Editors then weave these secondary visuals to create smooth transitions, break up dialogue-heavy sections, and reinforce spoken content with relevant images.
The purpose of a B-roll goes beyond just visual filler; it’s a powerful tool to enrich the viewer’s experience, provide visual breaks, and add context to the main story. Whether it’s establishing shots, cutaways, or environmental visuals, a B-roll is key to a cohesive and engaging visual narrative.
Why use AI for a B-roll?
Faster workflow
AI-powered B-roll solutions are the way to go to supercharge your video production. With AI video editing software, you can automate tedious tasks like cutting, trimming, and scene detection. AI tools can quickly generate B-roll footage, making the process more efficient. Add AI-assisted color grading and matching, and you can cut post-production time by half– two of the most time-consuming parts of any video creation process.
And because AI can analyze scripts and suggest or create relevant visuals, you’ll build a library of contextually relevant B-roll footage without doing extensive manual searches or additional shoots. It’s a curated collection of good visuals that your editing team can drop into your main footage.
Cost savings
Video production can be expensive, especially if you’re shooting fancy B-rolls or licensing high-end stock videos. AI-powered B-roll solutions help produce high-quality videos while being scalable and cost-effective, perfect for budget-conscious creators and small businesses. Instead of spending hours searching for the perfect clip or organizing an additional shoot, you can generate or curate a B-roll in a fraction of the time.
More creativity
It’s harder than ever to get and keep your audience’s attention. Creators and brands of all sizes publish content on video platforms with an overflow of content. You compete with millions of others for your viewers’ limited attention span.
AI-powered B-roll generation allows for creative storytelling through the use of B-roll shots. AI analyzes scripts and creates custom content based on themes, opening up new creative avenues. This technology lets you visualize complex ideas or abstract concepts that traditionally would be hard or expensive to capture.
Tips for effectively using AI in B-roll production
Choose the right AI for you.
How you integrate AI into your B-roll workflow depends on your specific use case. If it’s too complicated, you’ll struggle to use it, and if it’s too basic, you won’t see any benefits to your workflow.
Research different AI-powered video production tools to find the ones that fit your needs. Consider factors like ease of use, integration with your current workflow, and their features for B-roll generation and management.
Edit your AI content.
AI is a powerful tool, but it could be better. You’ll need to give clear instructions and refine the output for the best results. Here are some tips for editing your AI B-roll:
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Use descriptive language when asking AI to generate visuals.
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Try different settings and parameters to get the look you want.
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Review and refine AI-generated content to match your creative vision.
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Mix AI-generated footage with a human-shot B-roll for a more natural feel.
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Shoot B-roll during preproduction to capture extra footage, which will be beneficial during the post-production phase.
Balance AI and human creativity.
While AI can speed up your B-roll production, you must keep the human touch in your content. Use AI as a tool to augment your creativity, not replace it. Here’s how:
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Use AI for mundane tasks so you can focus on the creative parts of production.
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Mix AI-generated ideas with your ideas.
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Always review and refine AI-generated content to match your creative vision.
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Use AI as a prompt for brainstorming and then build on those ideas.
How to use AI to generate a B-roll?
You know the benefits of AI for B-roll. Now, let’s get started:
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Script analysis and B-roll planning
Enter your script or video outline into an AI tool to analyze the text and get visual suggestions. The tool will give you a list of B-roll scenes that match your content.
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AI-powered stock footage search
Use AI-powered stock footage platforms to find footage based on your script analysis. These tools can understand the context and suggest footage that matches your story.
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Synthetic B-roll
Use text-to-video AI models to generate custom B-rolls for unique or hard-to-find visuals. Describe the scenes you need, and let the AI create the footage.
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Automated filming
If you’re shooting an original B-roll, consider using AI-powered cameras or drones. These can handle tasks like subject tracking and composition, allowing you to get pro-looking footage with minimal manual input.
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Intelligent video editing
Use AI-powered editing software to auto-cut and trim your B-roll, detect scenes, and suggest where to put them in your main footage.
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Intelligent color grading and matching
Use AI-powered color grading to match your B-roll to your main footage so the visual style is consistent throughout the video.
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AI-driven motion graphics and effects
Add AI-generated lower thirds, text animations, and visual effects to your B-roll for a professional finish.
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Review and refine
Always review the AI-generated or AI-enhanced content to match your creative vision. Make manual adjustments as needed to get the final cut just right.
AI Tools for B-roll Generation
AI tools have revolutionized the process of generating B-roll footage. With AI-powered tools like Kapwing’s Smart B-roll, users can quickly and easily generate high-quality B-roll footage that is relevant to their video content.
These tools use advanced machine learning algorithms to scan the video and identify relevant content, providing users with a range of options to choose from. AI-generated B-roll footage can save time and effort in video production, eliminating the need to source B-roll footage manually. By using AI, creators can ensure that their B-roll footage is not only high-quality but also contextually relevant, enhancing the overall visual narrative of their videos.
AI B-roll in different industries
Journalism and documentary filmmaking
In journalism, AI can be a big help in acquiring and integrating B-roll fast. Here’s how:
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Rapid B-roll for breaking news. AI can analyze live feeds and vast databases to find and suggest relevant footage in real time so your news reports are visually rich and contextually correct.
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AI-curated archival footage for documentaries. Intelligent search algorithms can search through years of archival content to find the perfect clips for your story, saving hours of manual searching.
Marketing and advertising
AI is changing the way marketers create and personalize video content:
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Personalized B-roll for targeted campaigns. AI can analyze customer data and generate or select a B-roll that speaks to specific audience segments, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
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Dynamic content generation. Create interactive product demos that adapt to user input and give potential customers a more engaging and personalized experience.
Entertainment and streaming content
Reality TV to scripted content:
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AI-assisted B-roll for reality TV and vlogs. Sort through hours of footage to find the best bits or generate extra visuals to add to the story.
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Storytelling in fiction. Use AI to generate visual effects or a B-roll for key plot points so you can be more creative and immersive.
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Enhancing music videos. B-roll provides supplementary visuals that enrich the narrative, add context, and maintain viewer interest, showcasing the dynamic elements that complement the primary content.
Ethics and best practice
As with any powerful tool, use AI for B-roll responsibly:
Authenticity and disclosure
Be transparent about your AI-generated content. Consider:
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Labeling AI-generated content.
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Explaining how AI was used in your workflow.
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Human oversight to ensure ethical use.
Copyright and licensing
AI-generated content and copyright:
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Understand the licensing terms of AI-generated footage.
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AI-generated content may not be eligible for copyright.
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Get legal advice to comply with copyright laws.
AI and human creativity
AI is a tool to augment, not replace, human creativity:
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Free up time for creative decisions by automating the boring stuff with AI.
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Build workflows that combine AI efficiency with your creative vision.
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Learn and adapt as AI technologies evolve.
AI-powered B-roll trends in the future
As AI gets better, we’ll see even more B-roll magic:
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Real-time generation. AI will soon be able to generate B-roll video on the fly based on live scripts or voiceovers for live broadcasts.
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Live broadcasting. AI-generated B-roll will be integrated into live events and news coverage without a hitch.
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More personalized content. As AI better understands viewer habits, we’ll see a B-roll that adapts in real-time to individual viewers for a more personalized viewing experience.
Capping off
AI is a powerful tool but not a replacement for human creativity and judgment. Use it to boost your skills and free up time for the bits of video production that need your creative input.
As you go on your AI B-roll adventure, be curious, try out different tools and techniques, and always put your audience first. With the right approach, AI can help you create visually beautiful and emotionally engaging videos that will hook your viewers and your brand.
AI can streamline many parts of video production, but there’s still tremendous value in human expertise and creativity. Consider teaming up with a fractional video editing service like Vidpros to combine AI efficiency with a human touch. They can help you effectively use AI tools while ensuring your final product resonates with your audience by including a crucial human element.
Whether you’re going solo or working with pros, the key is to embrace the AI possibilities while staying true to your creative vision. By doing so, you’ll be well-placed to produce great content that stands out.
