The Secrets of the Many Elevator Scenes in 'Mad Men'

3/25/2015 12:03PM     

Why are there so many elevator rides in "Mad Men"? Series creator Matthew Weiner chats with WSJ's John Jurgensen about how the show uses these small spaces for big dramatic impact. Photo: AMC

Transcript

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the ... what people associate that with cocktails or call sixties clothes ... I think about elevators ... once I've noticed often characters interact in elevators became a little obsessed ... went back to all eighty five episodes of the year so far into the fifty nine elevators ... I was sure they'll the secret to the meeting a madman ... so I called up series creator Matthew Weiner to find out ... important to know and it's a terrible betrayal ... this is a very very any of that that ... okay so Wiener says elevators mostly see the show money ... but he also use the small spaces for the dramatic impact ... we talked about what went down in some of his favorite album arrives ... created with you what awaits you often get two characters together who would not go with each other ... the fear of public ... faith ... element to it that ... I find you really high and ... text and drive up because ... you know the ... relief they happened upon their mind ... in late last year and ... that would actually make him a white hat ... it was a ... use of the elevator ... in the building as a ... promotional symbol lookup Tundra feelings and I think when she leaves in an elevator and he's leaving his life in a way ... he's doing a project or whatever and him ... getting elevator ... and ... looking into thinking it not fair it's not about him one philanthropic about the fact that this is gone ... she's gone ... after ... the last thirty ... the way she and daughter there ... she and ... her Beau species' a word ... you're always looking ... at ... it from from a filmmaking pointed to an hour we have of people taking the camera in a believable way ... the elevator is always finding that because when people look at each other ... if you choose the tension ... people who are embarrassed especially ... still having the talk about ... through that were to try first to the friend ... that was to me that could only happen in the living ... this is ... this is ... this ... what ash ... we are dog is clearly up session with Sylvia kitchen shopping cart ... and then ride in the elevator with her ... I ... I ... they just stand there ... and beer each and were waiting for one intend rate and that something is going and on a certain ... time over the ... runway ... I've healed enough time to be added to the tothe let this thing play out to eat ... appreciating ... which is really happening ... Ch Ch Ch ... these are scenes ... one thinks there's something about an elevator I did just Connex with the themes of the show ... the euro ... retraced her education and a great place for her resolution ... financial innovation and ... a lot of the show would think that all the time ... going down ...