Guide
B-roll shot list: 1 or 2 shots for every sentence of your script
Updated
Paste your script and get one or two b-roll shots for every sentence, each easy to film with a phone. It is free, runs in your browser, and nothing you paste leaves the page.
In short
- This free b-roll shot list generator suggests 1 or 2 shots for every sentence of your script.
- Every one of the 99 shots in its library can be filmed by one person with a phone.
- The checklist shows each shot once, so you can copy it and tick shots off while you film.
- A 60-second talking video with b-roll over just under half of it has room for about 12 clips of about 2 seconds.
- The tool runs in your browser with no account, and nothing you paste is uploaded.
B-roll shot list
Runs in your browser · no account needed
One or two phone-filmable shot ideas per sentence, matched on the words you actually say. Nothing you paste leaves this page.
- Shots in the library, every one filmable on a phone
- 99
- Shots suggested for each sentence of your script
- 1-2
- The most b-roll Cutroom puts in one video, depending on the edit style you pick
- 40–52%
What is a b-roll shot list, and why write one?
A b-roll shot list names every clip you need to film, written before you start. B-roll is the video shown over your voice, like hands at work or a product up close.
- A list saves time, because you film from it instead of thinking up shots on the spot.
- A list saves a second trip, because a missed clip means going back another day, in different light.
A b-roll shot list template you can copy
A shot list needs four columns: the shot, what to film, which sentence it goes with, and a box to tick. This one is filled in for the plumber example the tool offers.
The script: 'A dripping tap wastes more money than you think. Ten minutes and one wrench can fix it. Here is what to check before you call anyone.'
B-roll shot list for a 3-sentence plumber script
Every shot is what the generator suggests for this script, and the word in brackets is the word it matched. Copy the columns and fill in your own.
| Shot | What to film | Sentence | Filmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Close-up | Counting notes into your palm, one at a time | 1 (money) | ☐ |
| 2. Close-up | A wrench tightening the joint under the sink | 1 (tap) | ☐ |
| 3. Very close | A wall clock's second hand, held for three seconds | 2 (minutes) | ☐ |
| 4. From above | Laying the tools out in a row before the job starts | 2 (fix) | ☐ |
| 5. Close-up | The phone lighting up on the desk, your hand reaching in | 3 (call) | ☐ |
| 6. Close-up | Thumbs typing a reply on the phone | 3 (call) | ☐ |
Shot: 1. Close-up
- What to film
- Counting notes into your palm, one at a time
- Sentence
- 1 (money)
- Filmed
- ☐
Shot: 2. Close-up
- What to film
- A wrench tightening the joint under the sink
- Sentence
- 1 (tap)
- Filmed
- ☐
Shot: 3. Very close
- What to film
- A wall clock's second hand, held for three seconds
- Sentence
- 2 (minutes)
- Filmed
- ☐
Shot: 4. From above
- What to film
- Laying the tools out in a row before the job starts
- Sentence
- 2 (fix)
- Filmed
- ☐
Shot: 5. Close-up
- What to film
- The phone lighting up on the desk, your hand reaching in
- Sentence
- 3 (call)
- Filmed
- ☐
Shot: 6. Close-up
- What to film
- Thumbs typing a reply on the phone
- Sentence
- 3 (call)
- Filmed
- ☐
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How the generator works
It matches the words in your script to a hand-written library of 99 shots. It is a word match, not AI.
- Each suggestion shows the word that triggered it, so a bad match is easy to spot and skip.
- When no shot matches a sentence, it says so and suggests filming yourself doing what the sentence describes.
- A 10-sentence script can give up to 20 shots. A shot that comes up twice is listed once on the checklist.
- It handles scripts of up to 60 sentences.
From script to shot list
Paste your script
Up to 60 sentences
The tool splits it into sentences
One row each
The tool matches the words
Against 99 shots
1 or 2 shots per sentence
With the word that matched
Checklist
Each shot once, with a copy button
Which words make good b-roll shots
Things and actions you name out loud make the best b-roll, because a camera can film them.
- Things like keys, an invoice, a wrench, a plate, a calendar or a box are easy to film.
- Actions like tighten, pour, measure or hand over work well when you film them up close.
- Words like trust, quality and value have no shape, so there is nothing to film.
- Some sentences have no match, and that is fine. Those sentences can stay on your face.
What the tool suggests for real words
For the sentence 'A dripping tap wastes more money than you think.', the tool suggests the money and tap shots. The other rows come from other sentences.
| Word in your script | A shot it suggests |
|---|---|
| money | Counting notes into your palm, one at a time |
| tap | A wrench tightening the joint under the sink |
| mortgage | A key turning in the front-door lock |
| deadline | The second hand moving on a wall clock |
| No match | A close-up of you doing what the sentence describes |
Word in your script: money
- A shot it suggests
- Counting notes into your palm, one at a time
Word in your script: tap
- A shot it suggests
- A wrench tightening the joint under the sink
Word in your script: mortgage
- A shot it suggests
- A key turning in the front-door lock
Word in your script: deadline
- A shot it suggests
- The second hand moving on a wall clock
Word in your script: No match
- A shot it suggests
- A close-up of you doing what the sentence describes
How to film each shot
Every shot in the library can be filmed by one person with one phone, somewhere they already are.
- Film close. A close-up of a pen on paper shows one clear thing, while a shot of the whole desk shows nothing in particular.
- Hold each shot for about 10 seconds, so the edit has a steady 2 seconds to use.
- Move the phone slowly, or not at all.
- Film upright. The finished video is 9:16, so a sideways clip loses most of its picture.
- Skip anything that needs a crew, like a drone, a second camera person, a rented place or a permit.
How many b-roll clips a video needs
A 30-second talking video has room for about 6 b-roll clips, and a 60-second one for about 12. That assumes b-roll covers just under half the video and each clip shows for about 2 seconds.
- In Cutroom, a b-roll clip stays on screen for about 2 seconds, never more than 2.6.
- Cutroom lets b-roll cover at most 40 to 52% of a video, depending on the edit style you pick, so your face is on screen about half the time or more. The table uses 45%.
- The words and sentences in the table assume you speak at 130 words a minute.
From video length to b-roll clips
At 130 words a minute, with b-roll over at most 45% of the video and each clip about 2 seconds.
| At 130 words a minute | 30-second video | 60-second video |
|---|---|---|
| Words in the script | About 65 | About 130 |
| Spoken sentences | About 5 | About 10 |
| Seconds of b-roll | About 13 | About 27 |
| B-roll clips in the video | About 6 | About 12 |
At 130 words a minute: Words in the script
- 30-second video
- About 65
- 60-second video
- About 130
At 130 words a minute: Spoken sentences
- 30-second video
- About 5
- 60-second video
- About 10
At 130 words a minute: Seconds of b-roll
- 30-second video
- About 13
- 60-second video
- About 27
At 130 words a minute: B-roll clips in the video
- 30-second video
- About 6
- 60-second video
- About 12
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom's editor does the matching for you, on the words you actually said in your video.
- Cutroom places b-roll clips on the phrases worth showing, automatically.
- Clips you upload stay in your library and get first pick, before free stock clips, so your own business shows in the video.
- You can highlight a phrase, and a clip lands over exactly those words.
- You can swap any clip you do not like, or search millions of free ones.
- You upload one clip of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes, and get a finished 9:16 MP4 back.
Clips matched to your words, in the Cutroom editor
Each marked phrase is where a clip lands. The shots above the transcript are in the order they play.
B-rolls · 5
1
2
3
4
5Most face serums make one big promise, then quietly do nothing. This one has three ingredients, works in ten days, and costs less than your coffee habit. If your skin doesn’t change, you get every cent back.
highlight = b-roll · struck out = already cut
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
- 1B-roll on the exact wordsReal footage, placed where showing beats telling.
- 2The opening headlineWritten from what you said. Pick one it drafted, or write your own.
- 3Captions in 40 themesPick a theme, then its font and colour.
- 49:16, ready to exportExport renders one vertical MP4.
What Cutroom costs
The shot list on this page is free. The Cutroom editor uses credits.
Credits per video
| Step | Cost |
|---|---|
| The edit, with captions, b-roll and zooms | 100 credits |
| Export | 20 credits per minute of video |
| A 30-second video, all in | About 110 credits |
| Your first video | Free within 7 days of signing up, 600 credits, no card, with a Cutroom mark |
| Lite plan | $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos of 30 seconds |
Step: The edit, with captions, b-roll and zooms
- Cost
- 100 credits
Step: Export
- Cost
- 20 credits per minute of video
Step: A 30-second video, all in
- Cost
- About 110 credits
Step: Your first video
- Cost
- Free within 7 days of signing up, 600 credits, no card, with a Cutroom mark
Step: Lite plan
- Cost
- $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos of 30 seconds
Questions people ask
- What is a b-roll shot list?
- A list of every b-roll clip a video needs, written before you film. Each line names the shot and the action, like a close-up of a pen signing a contract.
- How many b-roll shots does a 60-second video need?
- About 12 short clips. If b-roll covers just under half of a 60-second video, that is about 27 seconds, and Cutroom shows each clip for about 2 seconds. In Cutroom you do not have to film all 12, because free stock clips fill the rest.
- How many shots will the checklist show?
- Up to 2 for each sentence, so a 10-sentence script can give up to 20. A shot that comes up twice is listed once. You do not need all of them, so skip the ones that do not fit.
- Why did it suggest a shot that does not fit my sentence?
- Because it matched one word, and it shows you which one. It is a word match, not AI, so skip that row and film the rest.
- How long should I film each shot?
- About 10 seconds, with one slow movement or none, so the edit has a steady 2 seconds to use. Filming each shot twice gives you a backup.
- Is the b-roll shot list generator free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser with no account. Nothing you paste is sent anywhere or stored.
Paste your script, film the shots on the checklist, and skip any that do not fit. Your first video is free.