B-roll is a term used in video production to describe secondary footage that is often used as cutaway footage to provide context and visual interest to help tell a story. The term originates from the early days of Hollywood when they used to shoot on film. The A-roll was the principle roll of film, and the B-roll, or B-reel, was an identical roll of film used for cutaway shots and transitions. In modern video production, A-roll refers to narrative footage and usually involves dialogue. A-roll is footage that "tells" the story, such as an interview. Its the primary video and audio. B-roll, on the other hand, is footage that supplements the main video clips. It can help to establish a scene, smooth out a transition, or add meaning. B-roll footage is often shot after the main interview is shot, to provide supporting scenes for what was said by the interview subject. B-roll can be gathered with a separate unit, acquired from stock footage, or obtained from any source other than your principal photography. B-roll is essential in narrative features to create a sense of time and place and add layers of meaning to the story. B-roll allows us to provide context, visual interest, and hide cuts or edits. Videos with B-roll feel more professional than videos without as it increases the production value of the video.