The primary footage of the video, typically the main performance or narrative scenes that form the backbone of the edit.

A-roll is what the editor builds the cut around. Everything else is B-roll. If you are filming an artist performing, the close-up of them singing is A-roll.

A-roll in the real world

In Beyonce’s Single Ladies (2008), the A-roll is everything: three women performing an unbroken choreographic routine against a white background. There is no B-roll, no cutaways, no intercutting with anything else. The editor had to make the cut work entirely from the A-roll alone, which meant the choreography, camera work, and performance had to be near-perfect in every selected take.

Related terms

B-roll, Cutaway, Coverage, Rough cut, Editor