What characterizes a jump cut in film editing?

A jump cut is characterized by an abrupt transition from one scene to another, which creates a sense of disorientation or emphasizes a passage of time. This technique typically appears within a single scene and involves cutting from one shot to another, usually of the same subject, but with a noticeable change in time or space. The disjointed nature of a jump cut can evoke a specific emotional response from the audience or can be used stylistically to create a certain rhythm or pace in the storytelling.

The other options describe different editing techniques that do not align with the definition of a jump cut. A gradual transition is typically associated with techniques like fades or dissolves, where scenes blend into one another smoothly. Music overriding scene transitions often refers to seamless audio that flows over edits, which may not use any cut at all. Meanwhile, a dissolve effect involves a gradual blending of one shot into another, creating a soft transition rather than the abruptness characteristic of jump cuts.