Ep 17. Winter Jackets, Animation, Mushrooms, Gold Rings

How It's Made is a documentary television series that showcases how everyday products and common items are made. Season 1 episode 17 explores the manufacturing process of four diverse products: winter jackets, animation, mushrooms, and gold rings.

The episode begins by showing the process of making a winter jacket. The production starts with the design process; designers use computer-aided design software to create the jacket pattern. The fabric used for the jacket is then cut, and the cut pieces go through different stages, including stitching, hemming, and zip attaching. The zippers are also made in-house, and they must meet strict specifications. Finally, the jackets are inspected to ensure they meet the quality standards before they're sent to stores.

The second segment of the episode showcases the steps involved in the animation process. The first step is creating a storyboard, which serves as the blueprint for the animation. Then, the animators draw each scene by hand using a special type of paper, and they need fourteen thousand photos to create one minute of animation. These hand-drawn images get scanned into a computer and are digitized to create the final animation. Finally, the animator adds sound effects and background music to bring the animation to life.

The third segment of this episode demonstrates how mushrooms are grown. In a controlled environment, the mushroom mycelium is mixed with natural compost in a sterile environment, forming mushroom spawn. Then, the mushroom spawn is mixed with filler, such as wood chips or straw, and placed in a dark room. After a week, the mushrooms start to grow, and they're harvested by pulling them from the base. The final step involves sorting the mushrooms by size and quality, then packaging them for sale.

The final segment of the episode walks us through the manufacturing of gold rings. The process begins with pouring the gold into a crucible, which is then heated to two thousand degrees Fahrenheit using a furnace, melting the gold into a liquid state. The liquid gold is then poured into a mold to form a ring. Next, the ring gets polished using different tools to smooth out any rough edges and get a shiny finish. Finally, the gemstone is added using a special setting tool, and the ring is inspected for quality.

Overall, How It's Made season 1 episode 17 showcases the intricate manufacturing processes involved in everyday products, from creating fashionable winter jackets and manufacturing beautiful gold rings to the animation process of our favorite shows and, for the foodies, how mushrooms grow. If you're curious about the process behind everyday consumer products, this episode of How It's Made is definitely worth watching.