BB FANS

which do you think produces the best housemates, video auditions or x-factor style auditions?

i prefer the videos as i enjoyed watching them.

i think maybe x factor style auditions
it would be funny to watch!

Videos definitely! That way people can really show themselves but thinking of a way to put across your personality well in a minute infront of a camera can't be an easy thing to do.

I'm bound to say this I suppose, but I think that the written & video applications are better than the '1 minute in the booth' scenario. You can't really get a feel for people from the minute they (mainly) go 'ott' in that little film booth, whereas with video & written entries, yu get a lot more from the housemates and can probably assess them better.

I'd go for the videos too. A better class of housemate seemed to get through that way.

I prefer the videos as you can see more of the persons personality and more of an idea of the kind of person that they are.

Videos for sure, I still remember loads of them....mainly from the BB3 people for some reason, but i certainly think they produced better HMs.

Video applications. If you hold auditions, you get actors, its that simple.

Very insightful hb. Who's to say that some people don't act on their video applications though?

I thought this year was done by both. Wasn't there some hoo-ha about Makosi's supposed 'profesional' video? If there were no videos then that must not be true.

Having done both ,I'd agree that it possible in anaysle the written part of the old style to get a glypse of the applicant. The video was I think originally added to look for commitent of the applicant to take the time to produce it (thinks that what the BB2 book says).
I spent far too long on my last one only to look a fool on screen. But the obvious commitment got me to the first audition.

The open auditions if nothing else is a good day out ,but the place is full of auctors, would-be TV presenters , Wannabe Weather announcers ,comics etc. There don't appear to be many that go for the experience but rather for the max they can get out of it.

They could still get good housemates if they'd return to the normal type of person. If it wasn't for international shows I'd have abandoned BB by now as the last two series haven't had the type of housemate I was prepared to spend hours watching. I did stop watching BB6 all together from around the mid-point. I did watch the final but I watched more BBAU than BBUK.
So if you look back the best BB has come from the old method .

Larry's post makes a lot of sense to me.

Videos probably do give a clearer insight into the applicant, and they prove commitment..

But there are some people who would never make a video, but might still have something to offer - if that can be spotted at the open auditions, well and good. But it's a very 'random' process, so it probably just boils down to luck.

Imagine if they chose the initial applicants, purely on the basis of a written application?!

Videos
--------
At least it means the wannabe housemate needs the intelligence to stick a stamp on an envelope, and post a video tape to the correct address.

Of course, some could get someone to do that mighty task for them, but then...you're still sifting out a few numpties

Calrissian: Cal'2..not Cat'2