A distributed video management system that allows for monitoring a camera allocation parameter and dynamic reallocation of video cameras to available camera nodes in response to detecting a change in the allocation parameter including selectively dropping at least one camera from the system based on a priority of the camera. The change in allocation parameter may be due to a number of potential contexts including a change in availability of camera nodes, a change in the nature of the video data captured, a change in computational load, or other change that results in a change in allocation parameter. The disconnection or “dropping” of a camera may be temporary in response to an increase in computational load on the system. The use of priority values of the cameras may allow for sufficient camera coverage to be provided by the system while maintaining processing of video data from higher priority cameras.