An object selective video analysis and recordation system in which one or more video cameras provide video output to be recorded in a useful form on recording media with reduction of the amount of the recording media, with preservation of intelligence content of the output. Video output is both background video and object video, as images of objects appearing against a background scene. Preset knowledge of symbolic categories of objects in the scene and analysis of object attributes is provided by the system. Spatial resolution and temporal resolution of objects in the scene are automatically varied in accordance with preset criteria based on predetermined interest in the object attributes while recording the background video and object video. A user of the system may query recorded video images by content, enabling the user to recall recorded data according to symbolic content, by requesting data with specified symbolic content.