The Inventor of a film.

The most under-valued person in the filmmaking process.

A person who writes scipts, that is, the dialogue and actions of a movie. First drafts are often quite different to the final script which becomes a film, but the plotline usually stays similar.

Compared to directors and actors, screenwriters are way down in the food chain of fame, recognition, and money.

-noun, plural 'screenwriters'
1. That guy who works as a receptionist and has been doing so for years. He keeps telling you about this killer idea he's working on, but you've never seen a single page.
2. Any idiot who failed English in high school or college.
3. A career track at an institution of higher learning like USC, UCLA, or CMU. Usually taught by a 'working professional' who sold one script about a hero dog who saves his owner. Ironically, the cost of tuition far exceeds what most people will make as a career screenwriter.
4. Anyone with an opinion about a movie who believes they could do better if given the chance.
5. Anyone with access to word processing software.