a system and method for the capture and storage of data relating to the movements of objects , in a specified area and enables this data to be displayed in a graphically meaningful and useful manner . video data is collected and video metadata is generated relating to objects appearing in the video data and their movements over time . the movements of the objects are then analyzed to detect the movements within a region of interest . this detection of movement allows a user , such as a manager of a store , to make informed decisions as to the infrastructure and operation of the store . one detection method relates to the number of people that are present in a region of interest for a specified time period . a second detection method relates to the number of people that remain or dwell in a particular area for a particular time period . a third detection method determines the flow of people and the direction they take within a region of interest . a fourth detection method relates to the number of people that enter a certain area by crossing a virtual line , a tripwire .