Theseus Team
What do professional sports broadcasts and well-designed security camera systems have in common?
A lot more than you might think.
In a recent joint explainer video between Eric Moreau and Tom Fontana of Chesapeake & Midlantic Marketing, we explored the parallels between how sports producers capture the action on game day and how security professionals should approach surveillance system design. The takeaway? When it comes to video coverage—strategy beats specs every time.
Why a Camera Alone Won’t Cut It
You can have the highest-resolution camera on the market, but if it’s positioned incorrectly, placed in poor lighting, or aimed at the wrong location, it won’t capture the information you need. Security systems fail most often not because of the gear—but because of poor planning.
That’s why the Theseus approach always starts with a site survey and a risk assessment. We go beyond just checking boxes—we ask:
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What are you trying to protect?
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What threats are most likely?
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Where are the choke points?
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How can we get the right detail in the right places?
Discuss a Physical Security Risk Assessment with Eric & the Theseus Team >>
The DORI Model: Setting the Right Expectations
In the video, we talk about DORI: Detection, Observation, Recognition, and Identification. This model sets the framework for aligning expectations with performance. You don’t need identification-level detail in every camera. But in areas like entrances, exits, and high-risk locations—you do.
Our team works closely with clients to determine which areas require high resolution and which can be covered with a broader field of view. It's about optimizing resources while delivering the coverage that aligns with your threat profile and operational needs.
Smart Placement Beats More Cameras
If you've ever seen an overhead shot of a football stadium, you know how powerful a single camera can be when it's in the right place. We apply the same principle in facilities. A multi-imager or panoramic camera in the right spot can cover an entire area where multiple single-sensor cameras might be less effective—and more expensive.
We also focus heavily on choke points—those locations where people or vehicles must pass through. These are your opportunities to capture identification-level images without blanketing an entire site in cameras.
Virtual Design, Real-World Results
One of the ways we reduce surprises during implementation is by using advanced design tools—Revit models, CAD imports, and even virtual reality simulations. These tools allow us to show clients exactly what each camera will see before it's installed. This is especially helpful when navigating real-world challenges like furniture placement, obstructions, or variable lighting.
As we often say: a datasheet doesn’t tell you if a filing cabinet blocks your shot. A walkthrough or VR simulation does.
Environmental Awareness Matters
Lighting changes. Trees grow. Mounting heights vary. In our site surveys, we look at every environmental factor that affects camera performance—especially outdoors, where poor lighting or seasonal changes can turn a great setup into a missed opportunity.
Infrared (IR) cameras, for example, can fill in when lighting is inconsistent or degraded. Multi-sensor panoramic cameras can minimize blind spots. But each choice has to be based on the real-world conditions—not just specs.
Building for What’s Now—and What’s Next
Security threats evolve. So should your system.
We design with scalability and flexibility in mind, knowing that most clients will need to add cameras over time, not remove them. That’s why we plan infrastructure—storage, bandwidth, and licenses—with growth in mind.
We’ve also seen how resolution improvements reduce the number of cameras needed to cover the same area. A space that once required eight analog cameras can now be covered with two well-placed high-res units. That’s smart security planning.
Collaboration That Delivers
This video collaboration with our colleagues at Chesapeake & Midlantic Marketing was a great opportunity to speak plainly about real-world challenges integrators and end users face. Together, we highlighted examples from stadiums, parking lots, cafeterias, and more—showing how camera selection and placement must always be driven by purpose, not just preference.
Whether it’s a hospital cafeteria, a campus parking lot, or an operations center, we apply a holistic approach:
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Understand the threat
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Design to the environment
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Stay within budget
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Select technology that solves the actual problem
Final Word: Why Theseus?
At Theseus Professional Services, we deliver mission-aligned solutions. Our job is to help you understand what you need, why you need it, and how to get it done efficiently and effectively. Whether that means high-resolution coverage at entrances, panoramic views for situational awareness, or license plate recognition for forensic investigations, we tailor every project to your risk, environment, and goals.
Before you buy the camera, make sure you know what it’s supposed to see. We can help with that.
Contact us to discuss your security needs >>
BONUS: DOWNLOAD OUR FREE IN-HOUSE SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS GUIDE
Security professionals are constantly looking for innovative ways to secure their facility and provide a safe environment within their budget. And, they are also constantly looking for resources to help them achieve that mission while expert advice is hard to come by.
Fortunately, we have released a considerations guide that will help security professionals perform their own in-house security risk assessment.
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What's Inside? This guide is intended to assist you with performing an in-house physical security risk assessment. In many cases, assistance from a third-party expert, like Theseus Professional Services, is required. Identification of missing or inadequate physical security measures that safeguard assets (people, property, and information) and critical business functions is of paramount importance. The findings of a security risk assessment are used to measure and communicate the level of risk to the organization.
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