Ben Affleck Geeks Out Over Cameras in Jennifer Lopez’s New Documentary
Ben Affleck fully geeked out over cameras in his wife Jennifer Lopez’s new Prime Video documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which was released on Tuesday, follows the making of Lopez’s self-funded loosely biographical musical film titled This Is Me… Now.
In one scene in the behind-the-scenes documentary, Lopez and her actor husband Affleck check out the trailers of filming equipment that the singer has hired for the production of her movie — which cost $20 million to make.
And it quickly becomes apparent that Affleck, who has also directed movies like Argo and Air, is completely obsessed with camera gear.
A Camera Truck is Ben Affleck’s ‘Fantasy’
Affleck immediately points out the “camera truck” to Lopez in a scene 45 minutes into the documentary. Affleck eagerly steps into the camera truck to check out all the kit.
“We have primes, ultra-primes,” Affleck says as he gleefully looks around the camera equipment in the truck.
Lopez, who is aware of Affleck’s penchant for camera gear, replies: “Oh, this is your fantasy truck!”
But Affleck is so captivated by all the equipment in the truck to hear Lopez’s comment and continues pointing out various camera gear to his superstar wife.
“This is a Zeiss compact zoom. This is an Arri Zoom,” Affleck tells Lopez.
The documentary then cuts to an enchanted Affleck deep in conversation with the camera operators on the truck.
“This is the older compact Angeniuex zoom, right?” Affleck asks the camera operator, who nods in response.
Affleck then starts opening cases of camera kit and proceeds to show various lenses to his disinterested but amused wife.
“These are really good,’ Affleck tells Lopez.
“The 70s, they’re light handheld lenses. They’re really good.”
However, an indifferent Lopez simply replies: “I don’t care.”
“I know,” Affleck responds.
Cameras are Ben Affleck’s ‘Very Serious Addiction’
While the public knows him best as an actor, Affleck has actually been a photographer since high school and is constantly shooting photos.
In an interview with Film and Digital Times last year, Affleck says he is fascinated by camera and lenses to the point that it is a “very serious addiction.” The actor even says he regularly “get[s] made fun of” for being a huge camera geek.
I think we're having deja vu! 😉 Today we're reminiscent of a time when legendary #filmmakers @BenAffleck and Robert Richardson ASC stopped by to marry up some PV special optics to the new S35, the latest addition to our camera inventory. Tell us your fav #BenAffleck film! pic.twitter.com/FOptej4wxu
— Panavision (@Panavision) August 5, 2022
“I’ve been a photographer since high school and I’ve always loved it. It’s in my blood. I’m always taking photographs,” Affleck tells Film and Digital Times.
“I have amazing Super 8 footage of shooting Good Will Hunting. My brother [Casey Affleck] and I took a 16mm camera across the country.”
In the interview, Affleck says that he and Matt Damon started a film studio company Artists Equity in 2022 — for which he does not take a salary. However, Affleck says that the perk of owning the company is all the camera equipment that he has access to.
ben affleck using a photographers camera at the golden globes (1998) pic.twitter.com/Xo7lqo96PG
— best of ben affleck (@badpostben) January 8, 2017
“I’ve always loved film and photography. The great joy now is our new company, Artists Equity,” Affleck explains.
“The idea is equity and ownership. I own the company but don’t take a salary.
“I’m aligned with the company’s interests and this is a symbol of how we want how artists to be compensated.
“But our real secret salary is that we mostly own our own gear. We buy the lenses, the bodies , and then rent them back to the production.
“But it’s really just so that I can expand my collection. The Angénieux Ultra Compact zoom is an example.”
Affleck also shares how he has amassed a huge private collection of vintage camera lenses that he has brought to the company. The actor name-checks an “unbelievable” set of Canon K35s that are rehoused, some old ARRI/FUJINON Alura Zooms, and “crazy Russian lenses from the 1950s” that he purchased on eBay among his collection.
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Image credits: Header photo via Prime Video/ The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
