SentrySearch uses Gemini's native video embeddings to index footage without transcription, find matching scenes fast, and trim clips automatically. Editors can move from natural-language search to selects, rough cuts and future EDL exports with less manual logging.
Posted by sohamrj
SentrySearch is a Python CLI tool for semantic search over dashcam footage. It splits videos into overlapping chunks, embeds them using Google's Gemini Embedding 2 model (native video embedding without transcription), stores vectors in local ChromaDB, and retrieves top matches for text queries, automatically trimming clips with ffmpeg. Setup: clone repo, install, set Gemini API key, index footage, search e.g. 'red truck running a stop sign'. Costs ~$2.50 per hour of footage to index. Topics: chromadb, dashcam, gemini, semantic-search, video. Created March 17, 2026; last updated March 23, 2026.
SentrySearch is positioned as semantic search for video footage, starting with dashcam video but clearly relevant to larger edit bins. Its project page says it splits footage into overlapping chunks, embeds those chunks with Gemini's native video model, stores them in local ChromaDB, and retrieves matches from plain-English queries like “red truck running a stop sign.”
The useful production detail is what happens after retrieval. According to the launch thread, the tool already outputs precise in/out timestamps and automatically trims clips with ffmpeg, so the result is not just a search hit but a usable excerpt for a selects reel or rough assembly.
Posted by sohamrj
Thread discussion highlights: - cloogshicer on video editing workflows: Could this be used for creating video editing software? Imagine a Premiere plugin where you could say "remove all scenes containing cats" and it'll spit out an EDL. - sohamrj on video editing workflows: SentrySearch already returns precise in/out timestamps... Turning that into an EDL (or even a direct Premiere plugin that exports an editable cut list) feels natural. - macNchz on surveillance/privacy concerns: This exact use case is sort of also my biggest point of concern... technologies are making [watching and reviewing camera footage] a much more realistic proposition.
The strongest creative signal came from the replies. One commenter described a future Premiere workflow where an editor could ask for every shot containing a specific subject and get an EDL back, while the creator replied that timestamped results already make an editable cut list a natural extension, as summarized in the discussion roundup.
That makes this less about surveillance-style search and more about replacing manual logging for repetitive review tasks. The current setup still has practical limits: the project page frames it as a CLI tool, requires a Gemini API key, and estimates indexing at about $2.50 per hour of footage.
Posted by sohamrj
Relevant for video creators and editors because commenters immediately connected the tool to editing workflows: natural-language clip finding, auto-trimming, and export to EDL or NLE plugins like Premiere.
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