In editing, when a subject appears to move for no apparent reason from one shot to the next, this is called what?

• A. Jump cut
• B. Dissolve
• C. Hard cut
• D. Fade

Answer: (A)

A jump cut happens when the edit removes a moment of time in the middle of a scene, so the next shot shows the subject in a different moment or position without any visible transition. When the subject seems to move from one shot to the next for no obvious reason, it’s because frames were skipped, creating a sudden shift in time or space while the camera stays in roughly the same setup. This is what gives that abrupt, discontinuous feel.

Dissolves and fades are gradual transitions that blend shots together, not abrupt jumps in position. A hard cut is an abrupt cut between shots, but it doesn’t inherently imply a noticeable jump in time or space the way a jump cut does.