Jump Cut (Technique)

A jump cut is referred to a cut in film editing, it is referred to when two shots that are of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary slightly. Putting these two shots together gives the impression of a jump and gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

The video below is a perfect example of a jump cut. It is from Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, notice how one shot will end and when the next starts, the subject is looking in the mirror or is looking in a different direction from the previous shot. These jump shots typically take away from the movie due to it not having smooth shots that bridge into each other visually.

Sometimes the film makers use jump cuts to give off a certain feel of what's currently happening in that scene, for example in District 9 (2009), there is a scene where one of the main characters is searching an aliens shack, during his time investigating there are multiple jump cuts. These jump cuts imply that the character is nervous and this is portrayed through the audience through the editing technique.