AI video editing
AI B-roll: definition and examples
What is AI B-roll?
AI B-roll is supplementary footage generated or automatically matched by AI to accompany a primary video, based on the script or narration. Generative AI B-roll creates custom clips from a text description, while AI-matched B-roll selects relevant footage from a library based on the video's content.
When you'd use it
- 1When the script references a concept, location, or scenario you have no footage of.
- 2When the primary talking-head footage needs visual breaks to hold attention.
- 3When stock library results do not match the specific scene described in the script.
- 4When you need custom visuals quickly and a shoot is not feasible.
Example
A finance explainer uses generative AI B-roll to visualize an abstract concept like compound interest as cascading geometric shapes. The three-second clip airs behind a voiceover and no viewer notices the AI origin because no real-world reference exists to contradict it.
Use cases
- 1Generating a cityscape clip to accompany a voiceover about market expansion.
- 2Cutting away from a talking head to illustrate an abstract concept mentioned in the script.
- 3Generating warehouse footage from a text description to cover a logistics product demo.
FAQ
What is the difference between AI B-roll and regular B-roll?
Regular B-roll is pre-recorded footage, either original or from a stock library. AI B-roll is either generated from scratch using a text prompt or automatically selected from a library by an AI matching your script. The role in the edit is the same; the source differs.
Make on-brand short-form video from the footage you already have.