Not what I expected at all:

log (n.2) "record of observations, readings, etc.," 1842, sailor's shortening of log-book "daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc." (1670s), from log (n.1). The book so called because a wooden float at the end of a line was cast out to measure a ship's speed. General sense by 1913.*

So it does have a relationship to the wooden log - it was originally a series of measurements from a floating bit of wood.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/log

On set, depending on the size of crew, part of the job for an AC or 1st AC is to make a camera report. Each shot is logged to note things like which lens was used, what filters were used, the height of the camera from the floor, the distance of the film plane to the focus point, the frame rate, aperture, ISO, etc. All of this info can then be used if they needed to do a pick up later to put the camera in the same setup. Also, it can be used in post production so that the camera can be recreated in 3D to have the special f/x match.

Also, log can refer to the gamma curve which affects how roll-offs in highlights/shadows are saved (rough description).

"Log" is still used daily in production work.

This may not be universal, but when I was a 2nd AC/Loader - the 1st AC didn’t log anything. Always 2nd AC along with keeping the slate.

"depending on size of crew"

To get to 2nd AC, you had a good sized crew

I suppose, but we’re talking about Netflix here. DP, Operator, 1st AC, 2nd AC, and a loader is pretty standard on even sub-10 mil budgets (which is nothing).

Debating the size of the crew is fun and all, and yes, traditionally for a full crew, this is the purview of the 2nd AC. As the crew gets smaller, those duties roll up to the next person.

The fact that a "log" is still a thing in today's productions is not dependant on which crew member is doing it. In fact, with all of the digital f/x, they are crucial.

Absolutely. No disagreement here.

See also the unit of speed for ships and aircraft, knots, after the knots tied in the line attached to the log.

"mark twain" means 12 ft. Samuel Clemens adopted it as a pen name.

https://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Portals/52/docs/regional_floo...

Yeah and knots from the literal knots in that rope attached to that literal log. Not sure what you expected though, look at the etymology of any word and you get back to something concrete and tangible eventually (with rare exceptions for a few feelings and such.) We haven't been abstract that long, so most of it is metaphor or analogy.

It's becoming less and less of a thing as film is used less and less, but some of the older NLEs would allow you to view your time as feet+frames and allowing to specify between 35mm and 16mm.

Film was also sold by the foot. You didn't by film by 15 minutes. You bought film by 1000' rolls (35mm).

Or a fraction of a second at 10,000fps, where 400’ would be spooled through in under 3s (16mm)

As ingenuous as our mechanical past was, I am so happy to have lived through the transition to 100% solid state everything.

> Film was also sold by the foot. You didn't by film by 15 minutes. You bought film by 1000' rolls (35mm).

But that just makes sense doesn't it? It's only 15 minutes' worth if you run it at 1000'/15m.

Yes, I was just mentioning that for those that might not be aware.

Developing your film was also charged by the foot. The soup didn't care about your framerate. Just how much was need to process.

Thank you. Now I understand why it’s "métrage” in French, and also why a “long métrage” means a long movie!