The Art of the Script : Santa Barbara Literary Festival

What turns a blank page into an unforgettable film or television series? Join Matthew Weiner (Mad Men, The Romanoffs) and John Gatins (Flight, Real Steel) for an illuminating conversation on the craft of screenwriting—from character and dialogue to structure, revision, and the alchemy of collaboration.

Together, these acclaimed storytellers will explore how scripts evolve from early drafts into powerful on-screen narratives, the discipline behind emotional truth, and the creative risks that elevate great writing into lasting cultural impact. Drawing on their celebrated careers across film and television, Weiner and Gatins will share insights into building compelling characters, balancing art with industry, and sustaining a distinctive creative voice.

Hosted at the Santa Barbara Karples Manuscript Museum, a fitting home for stories in their earliest and most revealing forms, this Santa Barbara Literary Festival event offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at storytelling at its most essential: the written script.

A must-attend for writers, filmmakers, cinephiles, and anyone fascinated by how great stories are made.

John Gatins is an American screenwriter, director, and actor. For writing the drama film Flight, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Matthew Hoffman Weiner is an American television writer, producer, and director best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series Mad Men, and as a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos. Weiner began his television career as a writer on Becker.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival brings together readers and writers of every genre for a two day celebration of storytelling and inspiration. Engaging panels, enlightening workshops, pop-up events, and welcoming social gatherings, bring together established authors, emerging writers, and passionate readers in a uniquely intimate setting that fosters community centered around a shared love of the literary arts.

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