I did my first video shop Tuesday and today had my annual checkup at my doctor's office. When I was getting dressed to go I noticed the red marks left on my stomach when I pulled off the bandaids that held the wires in place for the shop. Uh oh.

Sure enough, my doctor noticed them and asked what they were and I said they were from bandaids. After speculating I might be allergic to bandaids and making some suggestion I didn't pay attention to (because I know I'm not allergic; it was just really sticky and my skin was really tender), it occurred to her that there was no scab between the marks and she asked what the bandaids were for.

I laughed and told her about the hidden camera and the mystery shop.

But . . . I have to ask the veterans . . . what's the alternative? The instructions said to bandaid it to my skin or an undershirt but I would think an undershirt would move, unless I got one of those leotard sorts of things that go all the way to the crotch. What do the rest of you do to hold the stuff in place?

duct tape

Ouch, Cettie! On bare skin?

No one that I know uses band-aides?

What MSC told you to do that??!!

Most of us mount the camera to the shirt or to a bra or (for guys) a chest band.

The camera was mounted in the button hole. The bandaids were to hold the wires and the plastic piece the camera velcros to in place.

It was a flat piece of plastic about 3 inches long and an inch wide. In the center was a square of velcro. The camera had velcro on it. I stuck the camera onto the stick and fastened the stick to my stomach with the bandaids. Otherwise the camera would be free to rotate about. The excess wires were looped and held with bandaids too.

I'm sure there's a better way. Do you just attach the camera to the button holes and let it "float" with the shirt fabric? They actually enclosed two bandaids in the box with the camera.

Instruction given: Position the wires of the camera in a downward position under your shirt and ensure that they are not visible. To make sure that the wires do not move, use two band aids to secure the wire to your body/undershirt.

The accompanying photograph shows the stick thing taped (not bandaided) to an undershirt and the bandaids securing the wires below the stick.

This was from Measure.

I think the seminar I was in also said to use bandaids but that was back in November so my memory is a bit fuzzy on the details at this point.

Anyway, they hurt and my camera angle with the stick attached to my body was not good so I'm thinking it may need to float so gravity can keep it positioned. I don't get the undershirt thing; who wears undershirts? I was concerned about keeping it in position because it was a dental shop and I was on my back for most of it and being raised and lowered in the chair so I needed to try to keep it in place. But I'm thinking some kind of body suit might work better.

You were using a shirt supplied to you right? Since we all have different body types there are just about as many methods. The set up you described I see quite often for men. Being short, my camera has to be mounted higher and my undergarments usually work well for securing the wires. My set up is similar to what is was shown in my seminar with the two differences being my choice of a Polo style short and my refusal to ruin expensive bras I no longer have the photo of my trainers set up, but I may be able to describe it to you. I'll send you a PM tomorrow. If I forget please remind me.

PINK duct tape

I used my own shirt, I just removed a button and sliced a second buttonhole where the button had been. (I bought some shirts for video shopping at a thrift store on a shop)

It's a button up shirt with black buttons on a dark blue and white swirly print. I think I maybe should have used a higher button but the next button up was just under bra level and the lump of the camera would have been obvious in that position. (It would have been, uh, sticking out a bit, ya know?)

I think I probably should get my own equipment so I can experiment and practice more. I only had the loaner camera about four days before the shop and unfortunately I didn't really have time in those four days to take it on a test drive.

Use medicinal tape. I can't think of the exact name for it at the moment. But you use it like if you have a wound and need to tape gauze over it. It sticks really well I think, but doesn't seem to hurt near as much to remove. And an advantage is that you can use a longer length of ''stickyness' than a bandaid provides.
You'll find it with bandaids and gauze products. Dollar store is cheap.

I actually thought I had some of that but it turned out to be a roll of plumber's tape, LOL.

But that's a good idea. I need to go to the dollar store for something else I need; I'll try to remember to look for that. Thanks.

I'm interested in the fact that Lisa uses a polo shirt. I have some polo shirts but the buttons start high on the chest, above the bra level. But I had found myself wishing I could use the shirt pocket on my shirt and that would probably be about the same height so maybe it would work out.

I use a polo shirt as well. It's black. There's a tab of fabric that extends under where the last button is on the inside of the shirt. My camera is in the last button hole, but I am 5'8" so I needed it there for proper angles. I put a piece of rolled duct tape under that tab and stick it down on my bra. Then I take another piece of duct tape and put it over the tab and stick it down on my bra. That keeps it in place. I use this bra for video mystery shopping only and it's worked well for me.

First, a cotton undershirt or tank top under your regular video shopper shirt helps protect you from the heat generated by the camera. Second, the battery pack can become very warm on long shops. Depending on where/how you stow that, the undershirt halps the dhopper to stay more comfortable.

Who wears undershirts? Video shoppers.

My cam is always shirt-mounted. Others have a bra mount or, for the guys, use an elastic chest band and secure the cam to that. I greatly prefer the shirt mount because it is easier to adjust if I am sitting in a low chair at a desk and need to move the cam up a bit. I can just grasp the shoulder seams of my shirt, as if I was feeling a bit "sticky" from humidity, and pull the shirt up a bit, thus bringing the cam above the height of the desktop.

Finally, Kathy, at Instant Replays, has a side buisness of modifying shirts for shoppers and law enforcement folks and actually has a patent on a system that she uses to secure the cam to the shirt. That works for most body types, but not well for me, so I just use the cam and button to secure the camera to my shirt, placing it all one hole lower than most, so that I am shooting just a bit "up" and getting the torso and head of the target about 90 % of the time. YMMV.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2014 12:47PM by walesmaven.

I really appreciate all the tips from everyone. Maybe I'll send one of my shirts to Kathy. I was never sure what she did to modify the shirts; I couldn't stay around after the seminar and she was surrounded by a mob before I could go see what she did.

But I think I will not be using bandaids any more.

Ouch.

They had her modified shirts at the recent seminar I attended. She sews a piece of Velcro behind the button hole so it captures the camera. The wires come out below it. The people giving the seminar don't secure the wires at all. The wires go into the recorder which is placed in the pocket or on the belt. They recommend against taping anything. And they recommend wearing an undershirt because of the heat of the rig.

Yet another reason not to use tape or bandages is that on a hot day, with a long shop, the camera will melt the adhesive, letting the cam slip out of position. Older rigs even got the camera so hot that it would melt the adhesive on velcro. Now THAT was a day when you really needed an undershirt!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2014 12:48PM by walesmaven.

My polos were purchased specifically for video shopping and it took some hunting to find ones with a placket long enough. As soon as they were found I bought five. It would be difficult for me to have only one shirt and/or one bra if going on a multi-day route. On long days I have had a square red mark on my chest from the heat of the camera. Rather than try to protect myself, the warmth (because it doesn't get unbearably hot) is a security blanket that tells me the darn thing is running

I wear an undershirt when doing video shops. I use electrical tape to hold the wires in place. I had Kathy modify a couple of polo shirts for me and they worked until I gained a few pounds. I'm experimenting with some shirts now and have found that a "chef shirt" seems to work best for me. There's a uniform place that's shopped and the fee covers most of the shirt cost. The shirts are available in a range of colors [white, blue, red, and grey] with black buttons.

My story, if I'm asked about being a chef, is that I invited my brother and his wife over for dinner and they thought my cooking was great, so they gave me the shirt as a gag gift for Christmas. I wear it because I find it's very comfortable.

I was not aware of any warmth from my camera, but it was stuck by velcro onto the plastic stick thing, so maybe that's meant for insulation?

My cam was about an inch square and about 3/8 inch thick with the button on top of that. The top of the base tapered like a squashed pyramid. The velcro was under the square base and stuck to the stick thing, which is what I bandaided to myself to hold it in place.

After all the above discussion I think a different approach is definitely in order for the next shop.

The mic is no problem, anyway. I just ran the wire up into my bra and clipped it where I normally clip my audio recorder.

I had the DVR in my pants pocket and my shirt was untucked so it covered the wire leading into my pocket.

I have two video blouses and both came from Kathy Hart. They are fantastic and VERY reasonably priced. I would wholly recommend getting her to do one for you - try one, see how you like it but they work great for me.

Personally, I don't feel comfortable with a looser mounting like the ones on the shirts. Mine is secured to my bra so the camera is actually in my cleavage and the back is touching my skin. It allows me to secure it without the use of tape, velcro and/or popsicle sticks. It is interesting to read about everyone's methods since we are all so different. A shopper friend of mine can actually keep the DVR in her bra. The way my shirts are made, that is not an option.

I'm looking down at the polo shirt I'm wearing at the moment and realize that its bottom button is positioned just above the top center of my bra and there probably is room behind it for the camera body.

Definitely some experimenting is in order. I need to check a thrift store for a black polo shirt to play with.

I'm going to wait to see if I get paid for this shop. If so, I probably will get my own rig and start doing test runs on other shops until I get the positioning just right. I want to start doing apartment shops. There seem to be a lot of them and I've done some non-video ones and actually enjoyed the role playing. (I did hate the chasing down of the target though.)

I got two shirts modified by Kathy recently and used one for two shops a week ago. She did a fantastic job and the camera was much more secure and correctly aimed than with the shirt I had been using. I need to find a polo or two to have done.

One other question -- is it typical to take a week or more for a video shop to be reviewed and approved? (This is with Measure in case it matters) I'm about to go on vacation and was hoping any questions or issues could be handled before I left. They should have had the camera back by last Friday or Monday at the latest. I did the shop on Tuesday and shipped the camera back on Wednesday.

I'm not impatient, just curious what the timing typically would be. It was a two hour recording.

I just hope they don't ask questions while I'm gone because I won't be on my email as frequently as I normally am.

Measure has been notoriously slow lately with editing video shops. It's taking a month or more right now.

Yes, Measure takes their time about just about anything.

Oh, okay. Thanks. Guess I'll stop worrying about it then. It was my first ever video shop so I'm anxious to know if it was okay or not. But I will go enjoy my vacation and figure I won't hear till the end of the month or later.

Don't take this the wrong way, but after your video shop is submitted all you can do is relax. Unlike a traditional shop, there is nothing for you to correct or revise and reshops are out of the question. I have not had Measure offer any feedback on a usable shop. If for some reason it cannot be used they would let you know why and if the video was that bad, you would already know

I had my first failed video shop today.

Well, my first that was my fault. I actually had a home shop go bad a couple of weeks ago because the rep didn't bother to tell me someone was coming in to buy their house in 15 minutes. This one was my fault though. Stopped a few blocks away from the dealership. Checked everything out, all systems go. Thought I left the DVR on. Pull into the lot and there is NO parking except for right in front of the 5 salesmen that are congregating around. Pulled in and the salesman walked right up to my car. Thought the DVR was on so I just flipped the REC switch and started my shop. In retrospect I should have asked to use the restroom before we started and made sure. :/

Bummer.

My concern over the thing is that I know that the first interaction I was filming the ceiling. Later I got that employee clearly and my other interactions were okay but the first one was over a counter and I knew the camera was pointing north and I was trying to aim it with my hand on my shirt and I didn't get the angle right. The cam had come off the velcro just before I came in and I didn't have time to re-aim it before the appointment.

I'm hoping for feedback before I apply for more video shops so I can learn from the mistakes (instead of repeating them).

But I'm on vacation for the next week so I'll try to forget it for now. At least I know it's normal for them to take awhile.

dspeakes,
That's why I don't trust a velcro mount for the cam. But, I am in the minority on that.

bgriffing, when the video gods are ready to kick us in the teeth, they first don their steel toed boots. We ALL have had that experience. My custom is NOT to stow the unit until I have actuall activated the record function. If that means that the editor has o take out a few minutes of driving from where I stop to "robe and wire" so be it.

Excusing yourself to check the cam in the bathroom may not have saved your shop. Some clients want "handshake to good bye" video or no pay. There is a video shop scam that the client hopes to avoid with that rule, btw. (They may be wrong about how well that rule avoids the scam, but it's their money, lol.)

Finally, my method does not protect me from failures due to simply never hitting "record." Everyone does that at least once!