10 Tips for Nonprofit Video Production B-Roll Filming
Your staff, volunteers, board members, and event participants can dramatically improve your organization’s storytelling by capturing strong B-roll footage. If everyone follows these simple tips, your production team and editor will have far more usable, high-impact video to work with.
What is B-roll?
B-roll is supplemental footage that visually supports the story—showing what people are talking about in an interview. For example, if someone describes volunteering at an event, footage of that event is the B-roll. The interview itself is the A-roll.
1. Shoot Horizontally
This one matters most: shoot in landscape mode. Vertical video looks amateur in professional productions and pulls viewers out of the story. Save vertical video for texting or platforms like TikTok and Instagram Stories.
2. Keep it Short
B-roll works best in short bursts. Aim for 10–15 second clips and shoot lots of them. Editors prefer options over long takes.
3. Set the Camera Settings: 4k at 60fps
Set your phone to 4K • 60fps for the best quality and flexibility in editing (including slow motion).
- iPhone: Turn your camera to Video mode and in the upper corner you’ll see 2 smaller numbers. Tap on each to set the mode to 4k • 60.
- Samsung: Camera App → Settings → UHD 60fps
One minute of 4K/60fps uses ~440MB, so short clips are key. Also, at 60fps the video editor can make it slow-motion, which means a 10 second clip can be 20 seconds in an edited video. Slow motion also makes video feel cinematic and draws viewers in.
4. Move Slowly and Smoothly
Shaky footage often can’t be used. Hold your phone with two hands, elbows tucked in, and breathe steadily. Move slowly and stick to one direction per shot (left to right or up and down).
5. Get Close to Your Subject Matter
Closer shots feel more personal and engaging. Don’t worry about showing someone’s entire body—faces, hands, and details matter more. Use the 2x lens when needed to get closer without stepping into the action.
6. Find Good Lighting
Natural light is best—but avoid harsh midday sun.
- Outside: Look for shade or shoot early/late in the day
- Inside: Place your subject near a window (to the side, or behind you, but not behind them)
If you’re inside and can use window light, that usually creates a nice shape and shadow on the subject. Try turning off the interior lights and see if you get enough light from the windows.
7. Consider Your Angles
Keep the camera at eye level or slightly below the subject for a confident, natural look. If you’re tall, pay attention to this as shooting down toward a person conveys they are weaker. Having the camera slightly below the subject can make it feel more heroic. Avoid steep camera angles unless it’s an intentional POV that helps the story.
8. See the Background
Good separation between subject and background adds depth and puts the focus on your subject. Check for distractions like bright windows, messy spaces, or lines cutting through someone’s head. Darker, angled backgrounds usually look best.
9. Relax
You, as the filmmaker, set a tone when you take your camera out (yep, by tip 9 we’re calling you a filmmaker). Ask permission when filming close-up, and keep a relaxed, friendly presence. When people feel comfortable, they act naturally—and that authenticity is the heart of nonprofit storytelling.
10. Gently Direct When Needed
Start by filming unobtrusively. If you miss the moment, it’s okay to ask someone to repeat an action. You’re not faking reality—you’re helping tell the story. Offer simple direction, and don’t worry about audio (what they’re talking about if it’s an interaction between two people); B-roll is about visuals.
Why These Tips Matter—and Why Collaboration Matters Even More
These tips empower your team to capture meaningful moments as they happen, expanding the amount of authentic, real-world footage available for your story. But great B-roll alone doesn’t make a great video. Turning moments into impact requires experience—knowing what to capture, how it fits into a narrative, and when to elevate a moment cinematically.
That’s where collaboration with our video production agency makes the difference.
We help you turn raw footage into a compelling, strategic story—guiding visual style, shaping the narrative, and ensuring every shot supports your mission and goals. By combining your team’s on-the-ground access with our creative direction, technical expertise, and editorial storytelling, we create videos that feel authentic, polished, and powerful.
If you’re ready to elevate your nonprofit’s storytelling, let’s collaborate. Use these tips to capture meaningful B-Roll moments, then partner with us for cinematic interviews, A-Roll and additional B-Roll footage, creating videos that inspire action, build trust, and drive impact.
Let’s tell your story together.
