Jump Cut

In Jump Cut, co-writer/director James Martin Morrison and co-writer Christopher A. Rivera drop us into a reality-bending audition where an actor’s big break becomes far stranger than she could ever imagine. Maya (Lucy Walters), a struggling actor, bounces between small street performances and scattered auditions, grasping at any opportunity to keep her acting career alive. With no auditions panning out that night, she scrolls through an online casting site and finds what looks like the perfect role, Isabelle, because she matches the required age and gender.

Mere seconds after pressing “Submit,” Maya is surprised when Cyril (Laura Esterman) and Philippe Wokozi (Jamie Jackson) appear at her front door, eager to discuss their upcoming project in person. They describe it as an exploration of time, missed opportunities, and a commitment to the role. Though Maya is suspicious, she is desperate to work and promises Philippe she is the perfect person for the role, willing to “fully commit” as he asks. She agrees, and the role starts “Now!” Maya finds herself transported to the streets of New York City, where she notices the big skyscraper clock jumping in time. This is not what she bargained for.

“Though Maya is suspicious, she is desperate to work and promises Philippe she is the perfect person for the role…”

Bonus points to any sci-fi short that puts a lot of thought into the deeper meaning of life and infuses that meaning into its story. Morrison and Rivera’s script for Jump Cut does just that by asking the question, “Is life just a play or movie, and we’re just actors in it?” The sci-fi elements begin the moment Maya accepts the role as herself, and she immediately jumps to the next scene in her life. In fact, Maya jumps to all the exciting moments and skips over the boring…thus the title.

When it comes to Twilight Zone–style sci-fi, Walters grounds her performance and never lets the odd story get away from her. Throughout Jump Cut she walks us through Maya’s journey to a satisfying ending.