Cutsio Blog

Cutsio for Security Footage: A Complete Investigation Workflow

This complete guide covers how to use Cutsio for security footage investigation — from exporting camera footage and searching for incidents to compiling evidence and sharing with stakeholders.

How do security teams use Cutsio for footage investigation?

Security teams use Cutsio for footage investigation by exporting camera footage, searching for incidents by describing what happened, compiling the relevant clips into evidence packages, and sharing them securely with stakeholders. This guide covers the complete workflow from incident report to evidence delivery.

Step 1: Export footage from your camera system

Export the relevant time windows from your existing camera system. Cutsio works with any camera system that exports standard video files — Verkada, Avigilon, Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, and analog systems that export to digital formats. There are no file size limits or resolution requirements.

For most investigations, export 1 to 4 hours from 2 to 5 cameras covering the incident area. Include overview cameras that show broader context. For incidents with vague time windows, export the full window. Cutsio can search any volume of footage.

Step 2: Upload to a Collection

Create a Collection for each investigation. Collections keep evidence organized by case and make it easy to find footage later. Name the Collection with the case number or incident description for easy reference.

Upload exported files into the Collection. Processing begins immediately. A 2-hour export from 4 cameras — 8 hours total — takes approximately 20 minutes to process. During processing, Cutsio's visual intelligence analyzes every frame and builds a searchable index.

Step 3: Search for the incident

Once processing is complete, describe what you are looking for in the search bar. Use specific visual descriptions rather than general terms.

| Search Query | What It Finds |

|---|---|

| "person in red jacket" | Every frame with a person wearing red |

| "white truck" | Every white truck in the footage |

| "person falling near entrance" | Slip-and-fall incidents |

| "person taking item from shelf" | Theft behavior |

Review the results. Each result shows a thumbnail, timestamp, and camera name. Click any result to watch the clip in context. If the search returns too many results, narrow the description. If it returns too few, broaden it.

Step 4: Compile the evidence

Select the relevant clips and add them to a compilation. Arrange the clips in chronological order to show the complete sequence of events. Trim each clip to show only the relevant action.

For a theft investigation, the compilation should show: suspect entering, suspect approaching merchandise, suspect concealing item, suspect leaving without paying. For a slip-and-fall investigation: floor condition before the incident, the fall itself, post-incident response.

How much time does the Cutsio workflow save compared to manual investigation?

The time savings from using Cutsio are significant at every step of the investigation workflow. Manual investigation requires the operator to know approximately when and where an incident occurred, scrub through footage to find it, note timestamps across multiple cameras, export clips individually, and compile them in a separate video editor.

| Investigation Phase | Manual Process | Cutsio Process |

|---|---|---|

| Export footage | 5-10 min per camera | 5-10 min per camera |

| Find incident on one camera | 15-30 min for 2-hour window | 10-30 seconds |

| Track across 4-5 cameras | 30-60 min | 10-30 seconds |

| Compile evidence clips | 20-40 min in video editor | 1-2 min in Cutsio |

| Share with stakeholders | 10-15 min (email/transfer) | 1-2 min (share link) |

| Total per incident | 80-155 min | 10-20 min |

A retail loss prevention manager investigating 10 incidents per week saves 12 to 22 hours per week by using Cutsio instead of manual review. That is 1.5 to 2.5 full workdays returned to proactive security analysis.

For multi-camera incidents, the savings are even larger. An incident involving 5 cameras requires the operator to review each camera feed independently in a manual workflow. Cutsio searches all 5 cameras simultaneously, returning results from every angle in a single search. The time savings compound as the number of cameras increases.

How do you handle an investigation from start to finish with Cutsio?

A complete investigation follows the same five-step workflow regardless of the incident type. Theft, slip-and-fall, vandalism, and security breaches all follow the same pattern: export footage, upload to a Collection, search for the incident, compile the evidence, and share with stakeholders.

For a theft at a retail store, the workflow takes 20 to 30 minutes. The LP manager exports 2 hours from 3 cameras, uploads to a theft investigation Collection, searches for "person concealing item," compiles the entrance-to-exit timeline, and shares with law enforcement.

For a workplace safety incident at a warehouse, the same workflow takes 15 to 25 minutes. The safety manager exports 1 hour from 4 cameras covering the incident area, uploads to a safety incident Collection, searches for "forklift collision," compiles the before-during-after timeline, and shares with the safety director and insurance adjuster.

For a slip-and-fall claim at a retail property, the same workflow takes 20 to 30 minutes. The property manager exports 2 hours from 2 cameras covering the area, uploads to a claim Collection, searches for "person falling," compiles clips showing the floor condition before the fall, the fall itself, and the post-incident response, and shares with the claims adjuster.

Step 5: Share with stakeholders

Generate a secure share link for the compiled evidence. Set a password and expiration date. Send the link to law enforcement, legal teams, insurance adjusters, or internal stakeholders. View tracking confirms when recipients have watched the footage.

For more on the search workflow, read our guide to searching security camera footage by description. For multi-camera investigations, read our guide to creating an incident timeline from multi-camera footage.

Step 6: Archive for future reference

After the case is closed, archive the Collection for future reference. Archived Collections remain searchable. If a similar incident occurs months later, the investigator can search the archive for related footage.

For organized retail crime investigations, archived Collections serve as a reference library. When a new theft is reported, the investigator searches the archive for similar suspects, methods, or vehicles. If a match is found, the archived evidence strengthens the new case.

FAQ

How quickly can a security team get started with Cutsio?

A security operator can create an account, export footage from their camera system, upload it, and search within 15 minutes. No training or setup required.

Does Cutsio work with any camera system?

Yes. Cutsio accepts exported footage from any camera system in any standard video format. No hardware replacement or VMS integration required.

Can I use Cutsio alongside my existing VMS?

Yes. Cutsio is a search and evidence layer that works alongside existing VMS tools. It does not replace or interfere with your current system.

How much footage can I store for active investigations?

The Pro plan at $59 per month includes 30 hours of storage. The Studio plan at $249 per month includes 150 hours. Archived footage can be stored as long as needed.

Can I share my investigation workflow with my team?

Yes. Share links provide access to Collections. Multiple team members can search the same footage simultaneously.