charlieaf92

Hello I am new here Over the last few years I've done some research on this topic, but primarily within the haunted house community. It wasn't until today that it dawned on me to ask within experts in the technology. So, here is a basic overview of what I am trying to do... Each year I create a haunted house in my garage for the neighborhood families. Because I typically spend most of my time hiding in a dark corner waiting to jump out, having a video of the entire haunt (and people's reactions to the various props) is important to review at the end of the year. It is also very entertaining. In the past, we've had someone walk through with the group carrying a sony handycam with night vision. The quality of the video and the ability to film in the adverse conditions (very dark, flashing lights + fog) has been great - but because its handheld we don't always get the proper angle for the reactions and it requires a dedicated person. I would love to have a system with multiple cameras that are able to film and focus properly in the dark and fog. Audio is also very important. The inside of the haunt is loud and typically has music, fog machines and an air compressor running off and on. So, each camera really needs some type of mic. The system would either need to have a huge amount of storage capacity (be able to run all cameras and record for 4 hours or more) or automatically shut off when there isn't movement. I would prefer they run the whole time to avoid missing something. Regarding the number of cameras, the more the better. At a minimum I would want 4 - but having the ability to add more in the future would be a plus. Quality is important - the more resolution the better - within reason. So, any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I've done some cursory research but found I just don't have enough practical experience with these systems to anticipate how they will function within a haunted house environment. Here is a short video with clips from our haunt in 2009 to give you an idea: Thank you! Charlie

Thank you so much for the informative response! I will begin researching the solutions that you recommended. If you don't mind providing a couple details (again, I am in the very early stages of understanding CCTV systems) Are there any particular cameras/models you'd recommend or have worked with in the past? I am more than likely going to build/buy a computer to run the system. Is there an operating system that is recommended for this type of application - and what software would you recommend to control and record from the cameras? Thanks again! Charlie