The scene below offers another example of how parallel editing can be an effective storytelling tool. It’s a re-creation from a documentary about writer Rod Serling. In the scene, young Serling tries to  sneak up on a neighbor and scare her by jumping out with a monster mask on.

The best way to tell this story is through parallel editing. That is, we see alternating shots of the two scenes. This raises the expectation that they are happening at the same time (hence “parallel” action) and will converge. It’s more tense and exciting than if we saw only one side of the scene.