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A
as73
Inspiring
August 4, 2025
Answered

Adding b-roll to an interview sequence?

  • August 4, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 589 views

I'm editing an interview with a main camera shot and then some shorter 10-20sec alternate angle shots.

I have about 20 of these alternate angles I want to drop in but I don't know how to synchronise them with the main timeline.

The interview is edited down on the main camera and I used a Zoom recorder to get nice audio, so I have the two camera channels (A/V) and the 2nd audio channel. I can easily synch the Zoom video to the smaller clips I want to drop in so they have clean audio too...but I can't figure out how to synchronise those b-roll clips into the main timeline...(some of my efforts synchronised the main sound with the b roll...but moving it out of synch with the overall interview main sequence)?

I know from other research that I should have probably shot the b-roll continuosly for the whole interview and synched it all once for a multicam set up ....but I didn't do that and now seems like it's complicated to sych up the small clips!
Appreciate any help you can offer!
Thanks,

Alan.

Correct answer PaulMurphy

The Synchronize function in Premiere Pro moves the clip that appears earlier on the timeline to match the one that comes later. If your B‑roll is placed after the main (Zoom) audio, it will shift the main audio instead.


To keep your interview in sync, place the B‑roll clip before the main audio when syncing.

2 replies

JonesVid
Community Expert
JonesVidCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 4, 2025

This method of audio sync worked perfectly for me when I filmed a charity event a couple of years ago. Main camera running all the time covering stage view with audio fed from main mixing desk.

i had roving camera taking close up shots from all angles with audio only captured by my 'on camera' mic. 
Sync'd up fine in muticam. Third track just used for occasional graphics etc. 

P
Community Expert
PaulMurphyCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 4, 2025

If your b-roll clips have audio that matches the Zoom recorder audio, you can synchronize them directly in the timeline:

  • Select both the b-roll clip and the main interview audio in the timeline.
  • Go to Clip > Synchronize.
  • Use audio as the synchronization reference.


This will align the b-roll to your main sequence based on the shared audio.


For future projects, the most streamlined approach is to sync all footage—main camera, Zoom audio, and b-roll—into a multi-camera source sequence. This lets you sync once and easily switch between angles as you edit.


You can learn more about this workflow here:
Create and edit a multi-camera source sequence

A
as73Author
Inspiring
August 4, 2025

Thanks Paul,

That's what I'm trying to do but I seem to be synching the timeline audio (which is all good and in synch with the main interview...so I don't want to change that) with the new b-roll clip instead of the other way around? What am I doing wrong?

See screenshots...I'm selecting the b-roll audio/ video chanels and selecting the main (Zoom) audio chanel and synching by selecting "Audio" and Channel 2 in the drop down menu....but in the second screenshot you can see where it's moved the main audio so now it's out of synch with the interview and that piece of audio is only in synch with the 10sec of b-roll....?

Appreciate any guidance you can give me, thanks!

P
Community Expert
PaulMurphyCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 4, 2025

The Synchronize function in Premiere Pro moves the clip that appears earlier on the timeline to match the one that comes later. If your B‑roll is placed after the main (Zoom) audio, it will shift the main audio instead.


To keep your interview in sync, place the B‑roll clip before the main audio when syncing.

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