jump cut

Jarring film transition

A jump cut is a film editing technique where two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly, creating an abrupt, jarring transition.

The effect makes the subject appear to suddenly shift or "jump" within the frame.

Jump cuts deliberately violate the continuity editing conventions that create smooth, invisible transitions.

Once considered an error, they became an artistic choice after the French New Wave: The interview used jump cuts to compress time while keeping the speaker in frame.

narrative

elliptical

Oval-shaped or indirect

passage of time · flashback · flash-forward · non-linear · episodic · story beat · scene transition · dramatic tension · suspense · urgency

aesthetic

nouvelle vague

French for emerging trend

Godard · unconventional · modernist · auteur · art film · stylized · deliberate · lo-fi · raw · handheld

technique

edit

Modify written material

shot · clip · scene · discontinuity · continuity error · axis · post-production · timeline · editing · footage

effect

jarring

Disturbingly incongruous

sudden · unexpected · disorienting · unsettling · discontinuous · fragmented · startling · whiplash · disconcerting · sharp

Categories
Opposites
editing continuity

jump cutsmooth transition

Gradual, unnoticeable change

long take · dissolve · crossfade · fade · cutaway

Family

cut, jump, cutting, jumping, cuts, cutter, jumper, jumps, jumped

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G