Drag-and-Drop Overlay Placement with Precise Timing

Manual B-roll insertion gives you full control over exactly where supplementary footage appears on your timeline. You place each overlay clip by hand, set its duration, and trim it to show the exact segment you want. This is ideal when you need precise timing — for example, showing a product at the exact moment it's mentioned in narration.

Inserting B-Roll Manually

1

Position the playhead

Scrub to the point in your timeline where you want the B-roll to start. This sets the insertion point for the overlay.

2

Add to overlay track

Import or select a clip and add it to the overlay track. The clip appears above the main timeline, starting at the playhead position.

3

Trim the overlay

Drag the edges of the overlay clip to trim its start and end points. The overlay's duration is independent of the main clip beneath it — you can make it as short or long as needed.

4

Reposition if needed

Drag the overlay clip along the timeline to adjust its start time. Drop it exactly where you want it to appear during playback.

Adjusting Overlays

Once placed, overlay clips can be adjusted in several ways:

  • Move — drag left or right to change the start position
  • Trim — drag edges to change which portion of the source clip is visible
  • Opacity — reduce opacity for a transparent overlay effect (see Overlay Effects)
  • Delete — remove the overlay without affecting the main timeline
Layer multiple overlays: You can place several B-roll clips at different positions along the timeline. They won't overlap each other — if you drag one over another, it pushes the existing one aside.

When to Use Manual vs. Auto

Use manual insertion when you need precise control — matching B-roll to specific words, creating intentional visual pacing, or placing footage in sections where speech is present but you still want a visual cutaway. For bulk coverage of silent gaps, Auto B-Roll Placement is faster.