Case Study: B-Roll Reel

Intro

In this project, I created a minute-long reel of B-roll footage for a children’s museum in Baltimore. This reel was made to capture the whimsy, play, and excitement of the museum’s atmosphere and its young patrons.

Tools

DSLR, Adobe After Premiere and Media Encoder 2021

Getting Active and Being Concise

This project made me get very physical, crawling through all of the exhibits that I could fit through safely with a camera. I looked at this museum as if I were a child, everything larger than life, so many people to meet, so much to learn, play with, and explore.

The best part of this experience was being able to meet many of the kind staff and interacting with children. It reminded me of how much trust and love is put into our society and how important it is for children to get out and enjoy life, that is what I wanted to capture.

And much like nature photography, this footage did involve waiting, calculated planning, and just plain luck to document moments. I had to blend into my surroundings and become invisible to capture some shots, while others I was happily greeted with a smile.

This reel was pulled together quickly, with only a few hours to both capture footage and edit it together cohesively.

Difficulties and Observations

Gathering this footage was difficult for two reasons: I was not able to receive explicit permission from every patron to record them, and I did not control lighting, audio, or even use a tripod. Thankfully face masks and planning my shots carefully while on the go allowed me to avoid issue and take dynamic shots.

While I had permission from the museum, waking around with a camera kept people alert. People don’t always want to be photographed, especially when they’re trying to enjoy an afternoon with their child. I took this as a challenge to record candidly, record from afar, and record from interesting angles. And this added significantly to the feeling of this footage; raw, authentic, and happy.

I also enjoyed experiencing the differences in age. While young children get excited and even enamored with being in front of a camera, older children and adults freeze up and have restraint, becoming overly self-aware. Can you tell if any of the shots were staged?