Common equilibrium of a happy family - Whilst this convention has evolved with the times, there is generally some form of equilibrium with a happy family at the beginning of the film or trailer. The evolution has come as divorce and single parenting has become more commonplace, and so the beginning of the narrative may have a family in either situation.
Disruption - The disruption generally comes in the form of an object in supernatural/paranormal films. This object can be small, or it can be a house, but it is usually cursed with an evil being. For example, in "The Possession", the disruption is the purchasing of the Dibbuk Box, whereas "A Haunting in Connecticut"'s disruption is moving into a cursed house.
Quick cut montage - This editing technique is to increase the heart, fear and tension of a trailer to attract the audience. This technique is usually combined with emphasised diegetic sound or a quickening soundtrack to increase the audience's heart rate.
Cut to black - This is used generally in tandem with a stab of sound to shock the audience.
Title and release date - Crucial information, this is generally featured at the end of a trailer before the sting so that the audience is left with the name of the film and a scary excerpt to remember it by.
Sting - This is a small clip of the movie featured at the very end of a trailer after the title, tagline and institutional informtation with a stab of sound intended to scare the audience and leave them with a memorable image of the movie.
Stabs of sound - Usually with silence beforehand, a stab of sound is used to scare the audience and make a scene scarier.
Contrapuntal sound - This technique is when a usually innocent sound, such as a lullaby, is placed over a scary scene to create horror out of innocence and destroy the safety that is usually connotated with it.
Diegetic sounds emphasised - Heavy breathing, heart beat or other quiet sounds are commonly used for this effect and it is used to emphasise the silence of a scene. For example, if a character is hiding in a closet and the antagonist is approaching, the breathing or heartbeat of the protagonist would seem louder, and the footsteps of the antogonist would as well. This is to enhance the fear of a scene.
Lighting -Within a trailer, the lighting tends to get darker as the trailer continues to increase the sinister feel to a story. Also, flashing lights may be used to disorientate the audience and make them scared. Other lighting techniques used are profile, under lighting, and back lighting to make the protagonist seem more menacing.
Dark washes over film - This also creates a more sinister feel in a scene and increases fear: no-one knows who's in the darkness.
Other types of non-diegetic sounds - Eerie music is played over the scene to help build tension, or 'other-wordly' sounds such as ghostly moans and talking is used to show that there is a supernatural presence.
Screams - Obviously, this is to enhance the horror in a scene by showing the pain and fear of a character that scares the audience.
Camera shtos - High angle shots of buildings are used to give them an imposing feel, and this may be used as an establishing shot of a scene. Aerial shots are also used as establishing shots, like in "Devil Inside", to show an entire town and make it seem so small and hard to escape from.There are also low angle shots of the protagonist to make them seem small and vulnerable and contrasting high angle shots of the antagonist to make them seem threatening.
Camera shtos - High angle shots of buildings are used to give them an imposing feel, and this may be used as an establishing shot of a scene. Aerial shots are also used as establishing shots, like in "Devil Inside", to show an entire town and make it seem so small and hard to escape from.There are also low angle shots of the protagonist to make them seem small and vulnerable and contrasting high angle shots of the antagonist to make them seem threatening.
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