6 Easy Ways to Hide Jump Cuts in Your Next Video

Hiding jump cuts is an essential element to making a seamless and engaging video. Jump cuts are great for hiding the flaws or the moments of silence while we gather our thoughts on a certain subject when speaking on camera.

There are some people out there who can hit record and state what is on their minds all in one go without stopping. Others feel comfortable with a script being projected on a teleprompter to get them through their topic, but those videos feel a little robotic and are hard to engage with as a viewer. 

Most people follow an outline to create a natural conversation with their audience and cut out all of the excess and useless filler words that we typically use in face-to-face conversation. To keep the audience engaged with the content, jump cuts help us get to our point smoothly and quickly. Unfortunately, overusing jump cuts can make the video feel like Frankenstein’s monster, and the audience will be annoyed by the uneven cuts between each take. Have no fear because we’ve got some tips from Jeven Dovey that will help you hide those pesky jump cuts to make your next video your best video yet.

Check out his full video here, then dig into the tips!

Make sure you're prepared

Before hitting record, make sure you have an idea about what you're going to say.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: this isn't really a tip to help hide jump cuts. Well, it is. 

This will help you not have to stop as many times while delivering your speech and will make the editing process a whole lot easier on you. Start by drawing up an outline about what topics and key points you want to touch on. Don't be frustrated if you still say a ton of uhs and ums during your speech, because we all do that. It takes practice to become better at public speaking. 

Use B-Roll

B-roll is a great way to hide your transitions. By switching to the B-roll, footage that captures what you are talking about, you’re creating a point of reference that is also engaging for the audience. Taking attention away from you is a great way to hide a jumpcut.

The best way to use B-roll is by simply putting it over your edit. The conversation will still seem fluid while creating diverse content for your audience. 

Punch the camera in and out

Another easy way to hide a jumpcut is to zoom in and out. The effect creates dynamic camera movements that will make your video feel less stagnant. There is no need to worry about zooming in and out while recording because this camera movement can be achieved during the editing process. 

Use multiple cameras

Similar to zooming the camera in and out, using two cameras can make the video feel like it is in motion. Think of it like you’re a newscaster and set up one camera directly in front of you, and the second camera at a side angle that is still flattering.

When you are about to transition to another topic in your video, turn toward the other camera to create a stylized transition. The turn is also the perfect point of reference if you mess up and need to restart your sentence or topic. 

Add graphics to hide the cut

A great way to hide a jump cut from topic to topic to add a graphic to your edit. A graphic can act as a visual indicator that you are at the next chapter of your discussion. 

Make sure the audio sounds fluid

Even though hiding the cut in the video is important, it's equally important that the audio doesn’t sound weird. This means that there isn’t a blip of sound or anything audible wrong with the sentence.

The best way to hide your audio cut is to fade out on a word and fade in on the next. The fades will be different each time you work with cutting the audio, but they need to be quick and feel natural so that the audience isn’t thrown off by the quick audio change. 

The next time you are editing a video, try using one or all of these tips to create something seamless and fluid. It might not be perfect the first time, but practice does make perfect. Toying around with these tips will help you fine-tune your editing skills, and you might find new ways to hide jump cuts that nobody else has thought of yet. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing that you’ve created work that is visually appealing and has an audience engaging with your content.

Let us know in the comments if we left out any other great tips for hiding jump cuts!

Source: Jeven Dovey