: recorded video of subjects or locations used to provide supplementary material for a film or television show
Zenovich casts video footage of Williams's manic stage persona, including plenty of B-roll from his various TV and film projects, against found audio interviews that reveal the comedian's quieter side.—
Julia Felsenthal
Julia FelsenthalGoodman and Jacobson are both trained photographers, and often find themselves shooting the produce with one of Butters's two new digital cameras, one for still photography and one for B-roll, in the likely event that she decides to do a television show or a series of how-to DVDs.—Dana Goodyear
Dana GoodyearExamples of B-roll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cinematographer Carlos Rigo and editor Arturo Sosa groove along with eye-catching colors and skateboard-video-style visuals, even inserting B-roll from a camera strapped to a horse’s head and doing a dramatic zoom to a sheep.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The show itself is a caricature of true crime — the corny narrator, cringe-worthy B-roll, exoticism, and cheesy music.
—John J. Lennon, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Breaking news can bump coverage, so have a B-roll and photos ready to keep the momentum going if broadcasters can’t get to you on-site.
—Jennifer Acree, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Her account often posts clips from conservative-media outfits including Fox News; her own in-house videos, in turn, provide fodder and B-roll for the same such segments.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The doc uses all the simple, traditional tricks of the form, between talking head interviews and B-roll footage, but its aim to convey facts and figures first is perhaps its biggest strength.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
Writer/director Sachs’ extraordinary new movie never breaks from the pair, and at times becomes like a documentary about the greatness of the actors themselves, Mozart possessing the soundtrack as Sachs and cinematographer Alex Ashe take longing, lingering B-roll of the performers.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
In B-roll footage that plays over the closing credits, Carpenter greets Roan with a compliment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024
During a shoot, production base camp is typically staffed with a skeleton crew: safety teams plus one or two producers who monitor participant progress, observe the weather, capture B-roll, and log footage from the memory cards swiped during medical checks.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024
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Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The show itself is a caricature of true crime — the corny narrator, cringe-worthy B-roll, exoticism, and cheesy music.
—John J. Lennon, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Breaking news can bump coverage, so have a B-roll and photos ready to keep the momentum going if broadcasters can’t get to you on-site.
—Jennifer Acree, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Her account often posts clips from conservative-media outfits including Fox News; her own in-house videos, in turn, provide fodder and B-roll for the same such segments.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The doc uses all the simple, traditional tricks of the form, between talking head interviews and B-roll footage, but its aim to convey facts and figures first is perhaps its biggest strength.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
Writer/director Sachs’ extraordinary new movie never breaks from the pair, and at times becomes like a documentary about the greatness of the actors themselves, Mozart possessing the soundtrack as Sachs and cinematographer Alex Ashe take longing, lingering B-roll of the performers.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
In B-roll footage that plays over the closing credits, Carpenter greets Roan with a compliment.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024
During a shoot, production base camp is typically staffed with a skeleton crew: safety teams plus one or two producers who monitor participant progress, observe the weather, capture B-roll, and log footage from the memory cards swiped during medical checks.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“B-roll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/B-roll. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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