Chapter 4: Setting Up the Investigation — from Online Courses by Thomas Cooney
Once you decide a case is worth field time, plan for controlled chaos. Order matters because nights go sideways.
Team size and house size
More people is not always better. Match team size to the property and the reported activity. Four investigators in a studio apartment is theater. A large multi-room house may need more coverage. Mild object movement can be watched by individuals; frightening activity may call for pairs. Use common sense.
I usually want the household present—the “normal” social energy of the place—if activity tends to happen when the family is home. I do not want half the neighborhood. Sightseer “ghost hunts” kill cases. Reduce the crowd or leave. Helping clients does not require wasting a night on a circus.
Setup and stamina
Early hours are awkward for everyone. A little levity is fine; endless nervous comedy is not. Set equipment, then assign posts to the most active areas. Video where objects move; audio nearly everywhere. Put night-capable gear in dark zones. People who know the tools should run the tools.
Then you wait. Early quiet is normal. Do not glue one person to a dusty attic for eight hours—fatigue invents ghosts. Rotate posts. Investigations can run many nights; do not burn out on night one.
When clients ask about other cases, prefer light, human stories over horror reels. Frightening tales teach people how to be haunted. Humor and rapport carry long nights. When returns diminish, end the session. Stay longer when people may be at risk; still respect fatigue. Next: what the equipment is actually for.