🧩 Introduction
Action B-roll is what makes your YouTube video feel alive. Instead of just telling viewers what’s happening, you show them.
Thanks to AI video generation tools (like Sora 2, flow+Veo), creators can now easily generate cinematic, realistic, or even stylized B-roll without filming a single frame.
In this guide, we’ll walk through several common examples of Action B-roll — and show how you can use AI tools to bring each one to life.
All prompts in this article have been tested and are compatible with Veo / Sora 2.
💻 Example 1: Typing on a keyboard
- Concept: Visualize focus, productivity, or creative work.
- Scene idea: Close-up of hands typing on a backlit keyboard in a cozy workspace.
- Lighting: Warm side light, soft background blur.
- Mood: Calm, efficient, creative.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of hands typing on a backlit mechanical keyboard in a cozy workspace. Warm side lighting casts gentle shadows across the desk, creating a calm and focused mood. The background softly blurred — showing faint outlines of a monitor, coffee mug, and notebook. The atmosphere feels productive and creative, with subtle reflections on the keys and smooth depth-of-field transitions. The camera slowly moves in a shallow focus, emphasizing rhythm and concentration. Style: realistic, 4K, shallow depth of field, cinematic lighting, soft bokeh.Example(made by sora2)：
📱 Example 2: Scrolling a Phone
- Concept: Communication, distraction, or research.
- Scene idea: A person scrolling through messages or reading articles at a café table.
- Lighting: Natural window light with reflections on the screen.
- Mood: Reflective, connected, slightly cinematic.
- Prompt:
A cinematic medium shot of a person sitting at a cozy café table, scrolling through messages or reading articles on a smartphone or laptop. Natural daylight filters through the window, casting soft reflections on the screen. Background softly blurred with faint movement of other customers and warm ambient tones. The mood is reflective, calm, and connected, with a slightly cinematic feeling. Style: realistic, 4K, shallow depth of field, cinematic lighting, natural reflections, storytelling composition.☕ Example 3: Stirring Coffee
- Concept: Routine, calm, or anticipation.
- Scene idea: A hand stirring coffee in a ceramic cup, steam rising softly.
- Lighting: Golden morning light or soft blue evening tone.
- Mood: Warm, introspective, peaceful.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of a hand slowly stirring coffee in a ceramic cup. Gentle steam rises and curls into the air. The lighting is soft and natural — either golden morning sunlight streaming through a window or a tranquil blue evening tone. The mood is calm, warm, and introspective, evoking a quiet moment of anticipation before the day begins. Subtle reflections shimmer on the cup’s surface. The camera lingers with shallow depth of field, focusing on the gentle motion and drifting steam. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, soft bokeh, peaceful tone.📓 Example 4: Opening a Notebook
- Concept: Planning, creativity, or reflection.
- Scene idea: Someone opening a notebook and writing notes or sketches.
- Lighting: Desk lamp or natural morning light.
- Mood: Thoughtful, focused.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of someone opening a notebook and writing notes or sketching ideas on paper. The lighting comes from a warm desk lamp or soft natural morning light through a window. The scene feels intimate, creative, and thoughtful — capturing the quiet focus of a person planning or reflecting. The pen glides smoothly, with a shallow depth of field emphasizing the motion of writing and the texture of the paper. The background includes faint details of a tidy desk: a laptop, a cup of coffee, and scattered stationery. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, soft bokeh, creative mood, shallow depth of field.🏢 Example 5: Office Brainstorming
- Concept: Collaboration, problem-solving.
- Scene idea: Group around a whiteboard, sticky notes, animated gestures.
- Lighting: Bright modern office tones.
- Mood: Energetic, dynamic.
- Prompt:
A cinematic medium shot of a diverse group collaborating around a whiteboard covered with colorful sticky notes and sketches. Team members are animatedly discussing ideas, pointing, and gesturing while brainstorming. Bright modern office lighting fills the room, with glass walls and natural daylight enhancing the energetic atmosphere. The camera moves slightly to capture expressions and teamwork dynamics, showing creativity, engagement, and problem-solving in action. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, dynamic handheld motion, creative collaboration mood.🎥 Example 6: Behind-the-Scenes Filming
- Concept: Authenticity, creativity.
- Scene idea: A camera operator filming an interview or product shot.
- Lighting: Studio or natural window light.
- Mood: Professional yet casual.
- Prompt:
A cinematic behind-the-scenes shot of a camera operator filming an interview or product scene. The operator adjusts the focus and framing through the viewfinder, with studio or soft natural window light illuminating the subject. The atmosphere feels professional yet casual — showing the authenticity of the creative process. The background includes lighting stands, a boom mic, and soft bokeh from blurred studio equipment. The camera pans gently, revealing both the filmmaker and the subject, capturing a sense of artistry and teamwork. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, behind-the-scenes documentary tone.💻 Example 7: Coding or Hacking
- Concept: Technical precision, focus.
- Scene idea: Close-up of code on screen, fingers typing, reflections in glasses.
- Lighting: Cool tech-blue ambient tone.
- Mood: Intelligent, modern, intense.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of code scrolling across a computer screen, fingers typing with focused rhythm. Reflections of the glowing code lines shimmer in the person’s glasses. The lighting is cool and futuristic, with blue and cyan tones illuminating the workspace. The atmosphere feels intelligent, modern, and intense — showing technical precision and deep focus. The camera glides slowly, emphasizing the synchronization between typing motion and code movement. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, cyber aesthetic, cool tech-blue tone.🎨 Example 8: Painting or Drawing
- Concept: Creativity, self-expression.
- Scene idea: A brush gliding over canvas, colors blending, hand movement detail.
- Lighting: Warm daylight or art studio lighting.
- Mood: Peaceful, creative, tactile.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of a paintbrush gliding smoothly over a canvas, colors blending beautifully with visible texture. The hand moves with gentle precision, revealing the tactile nature of painting. Lighting is warm daylight or soft art studio light, casting natural shadows that enhance the depth of the strokes. The atmosphere feels peaceful, creative, and immersive — capturing the beauty of self-expression through art. The camera focuses on brush movement, pigment mixing, and the painter’s subtle hand motion. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, artistic macro shot, warm tones.🎸 Example 9: Playing an Instrument
- Concept: Emotion, rhythm, focus.
- Scene idea: Musician strumming guitar or pressing piano keys.
- Lighting: Stage-like lighting or warm home interior.
- Mood: Passionate, rhythmic, immersive.
- Prompt:
A cinematic close-up of a musician strumming a guitar or pressing piano keys, captured with rhythmic precision. The lighting feels intimate — either dramatic stage lighting or warm home interior glow. Each movement of the hands conveys emotion and focus, with shallow depth of field highlighting the texture of strings or piano keys. The mood is passionate, immersive, and rhythmic, showing the deep connection between the musician and their instrument. The camera moves gently with the beat, creating a sense of flow and intensity. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, warm tones, emotional atmosphere.🧑💻 Example 10: Editing a Video
- Concept: Craftsmanship, post-production magic.
- Scene idea: Person editing footage on a monitor with multiple screens.
- Lighting: Dim room with monitor glow.
- Mood: Focused, late-night creative energy.
- Prompt:
A cinematic shot of a person editing video footage on a monitor setup with multiple screens. The room is dimly lit, illuminated mainly by the cool glow of monitors displaying timelines, color grading panels, and footage previews. The atmosphere feels focused and creative, capturing the quiet intensity of late-night editing work. Reflections flicker on the editor’s face and glasses as they fine-tune the details. The camera moves slowly, emphasizing precision and the artistry behind post-production. Style: realistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, cool tones, moody ambient glow.🧠 Conclusion
Action B-roll is the foundation of strong visual storytelling — and AI tools now make it accessible to everyone.
You no longer need a camera crew or studio setup — just creativity and a good prompt.
🎬 Next step: Start generating your own Action B-roll with AI tools and bring life to your YouTube stories.