Ok, Now for a controller is a matter of what is available to you and what you feel comfortable doing, I use a lot of PLC control but thats out of the realm for a lot of people, there is also prop-1 a very good controller from the guys at EFX-TEK, and then there is the Pico boo, Key banger,I/O geek, Gilderfluke Mini Brick,Cowlacious Pet, Terror by Design, VSA, Midi, It all depends on what you want to do,how you want to do it ,and how much you are willing to pay,all are factors. You could also just use relays and timers to control your props. As for the sensors you could use a PIR, its got a lot of range and a lot of them are adjustable so you could get the people you might think that are out of reach of the sensor, and there are many other types of sensors you could use like microwave, ultrasonic, photo eye,proximity, floor mat, and many more. You have to figure out things like how far do I want to sense if someone is near and what you want your prop to do when it is trigged. Hope this doesn't stress you out more.