Understanding Jump Cuts

Video is become an increasing part of the learning landscape and taking a larger role in eLearning all the time. The way in which video can be used is extensive and ranges from simple explanation, to providing direct instruction. Likewise, the video itself may be created with any number of tools, production values, styles and quality. 

The first week of this course, we watched the video “Dan Nunez’s Screencast Commandments.” Dan’s video was homemade and the quality was fairly good given the equipment he used to create it but one of the key elements of his video was the jump cut. A jump cut is an editing technique in which two sequential shots of the same subject from slightly different positions and it creates the illusion the you have moved forward (or more accurately the subject in the video) in time.

For this discussion question, watch the video “Understanding Jump Cuts” below and then then watch the video “Fragments of Iceland.” Once you’ve watched the videos talk about the ways that jump cuts could possibly be used to guide the attention of learners. Can they have a positive effect on learning? What negative effects can they have on the learners? Can you think of how you would structure an instructional video using jump cuts and what role would it serve in the learning process? Provide examples if you can… it doesn’t need to be an existing video but just talk though your vision about how you might be able to use this video editing technique to serve learning.

Coach “J”