25 B-Roll Ideas for Reels and TikToks You Can Film Today
Quick answer
The best B-roll shows what you're saying: hands doing the task, the place you mention, the product up close. Below are 25 ideas you can film on a phone today, grouped into process, place and routine shots. Film each action wide, medium and close for flexible editing.
Free · Instagram, Facebook & TikTok · Only use clips you own or have permission to use.
Key takeaways
- Match every shot to a line in your script.
- Film wide, medium and close-up for each action.
- Process shots (hands, tools) are the most versatile.
- Your own past posts are a ready source.
- Only film people and places you have permission to include.
On this page
How to use this list
Pick ideas that show what your script says. Film each as a wide, medium and close-up, start recording before the action and keep rolling after it. Only film people and places you have permission to include.
25 B-roll ideas
Everyday process shots
- Hands opening a box or package
- Pouring a drink in slow motion
- Close-up of a keyboard while typing
- Overhead shot of your desk setup
- Walking into frame from off-camera
- Opening a door to your workspace
- A product rotating on a plate or stand
- Before-and-after of a finished task
- Writing a list in a notebook
- Ingredients being chopped
Place and mood shots
- Window light moving across a room
- Feet walking on a street or path
- A timer or clock close-up
- Scrolling through your own app or website
- Plants or nature details near your home
- Packing a bag for the day
- Tidying a desk or shelf
Routine and lifestyle shots
- A coffee machine or kettle at work
- Reaction shot: nodding or smiling to camera
- Neighborhood establishing shot
- Tools laid out flat before a project
- Sketching a quick plan
- Stretching or warming up
- Lights switching on in a room
- Closing a laptop at the end of the day
Turning past videos into B-roll
If you've posted for a while, many of these shots already exist in your own posts. For long-form recordings of your own, AI clipping tools such as Opus Clip are designed to find highlight moments; for short cutaways from your own Instagram, Facebook or TikTok posts, see the section below.
Common mistakes
- Filming generic shots that don't match the script.
- Only one angle per action.
- Shaky or mismatched lighting next to clean A-roll.
- Clips with old captions burned in.
How VDOHBoost fits
Already have great moments in your own posts? VDOHBoost turns segments of clips you own from Instagram, Facebook or TikTok into ready-to-edit B-roll.
In VDOHBoost the flow is Paste → Trim → Done:
- Paste a link to your own clip
- Tick the rights checkbox
- Press "Get clip" and wait for loading
- Trim the clip on the "READY TO TRIM" screen
- Choose a crop: Original, 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
- Export, then "Download MP4"
VDOHBoost exports up to 720p.
Free · 8 clips a day, 40 a month · exports up to 720p
Turn one of your own clips into B-roll →
FAQ
What are good B-roll shots for beginners?
Start with process shots: your hands doing the task you're talking about, filmed wide, medium and close. Add a simple establishing shot of where you are and a close-up of any product you mention. These cover most talking-head videos.
How many B-roll shots do I need per video?
It depends on length and pace. A useful approach is one shot for every line that describes something visible, plus a few spares. Keep each cutaway around 3–5 seconds in short-form video.
Can I film B-roll on my phone?
Yes. Modern phones are good enough for social B-roll. Hold steady or use a small tripod, film in good light, and shoot vertically if your final video is vertical.
What is a B-roll shot list?
A shot list is a plan of the cutaways you need, usually written next to your script lines. It prevents filler footage and makes sure every key point has a visual.
Can I use B-roll from my old videos?
Yes, if they're yours or you have permission. Pick short moments without burned-in text, crop them to your new edit's ratio, and remix them with new captions and audio.
Summary
Choose ideas that prove your script, film each from three distances, and reuse moments from your own posts. A small library of these 25 shots covers most short-form videos.
Ready to crop your own clip?
Paste a link to an Instagram, Facebook or TikTok clip you own or have permission to use.
Paste a link to your clip