Techniques for generating timelines and event logs from one or more fixed-position cameras based on the identification of activity in the video are presented. Various embodiments of the invention include an assessment of the importance of the activity, the creation of a timeline identifying events of interest, and interaction techniques for seeing more details of an event or alternate views of the video. In one embodiment, motion detection is used to determine activity in one or more synchronized video streams. In another embodiment, events are determined based on periods of activity and assigned importance assessments based on the activity, important locations in the video streams, and events from other sensors. In different embodiments, the interface consists of a timeline, event log, and map.