Writer, Researcher and Story Editor

I am a writer for animation and a researcher at Università Cattolica. I write and edit international animated series for children. My research interests include children’s fiction, adaptation and Japan’s visual culture. I also work as a translator for several studios. I occasionally write reviews of animated films and tv series. I collaborate with the agency Rigotz Stories.

Experiences

Writer

2024
Università Cattolica, Milan

Collaboration on research activities in the field of Audiovisual Fiction.

Writer

2022 - 2023
Museo Egizio, Turin

Writing dramatised audio-guides for children and adults for the temporary exhibition The Gift of Thot. With characters from the book series La Banda delle Bende (Franco Cosimo Panini).

Screenwriter

2023
Enanimation, Turin

With Rigots. Writing episodes for the animated series Nina & Olga 2 (Enanimation, Kreisworks).

Screenwriter

2022
Enanimation, Turin

With Rigotz. Writing episodes for the animated series The Sound Collector (Eagle Vs Bat, Enanimation, Mackinnon & Saunders, ITV, RAI).

Story Editor

2022
Movimenti Production, Milan

Editing stories, supervising staff writers, and evaluating animated projects for young audiences. Story Editor for the animated series Miniheroes of the Forest.

Story consultant

2021 - 2022
MUPI Srl, Florence

With Rigotz. Providing creative insights and storytelling advice for preschool multimedia projects.

Screenwriter

2020 - 2021
Mondo TV France, Paris

With Rigotz. Writing episodes for the animated series Grisù il draghetto (Mondo TV, ZDF Enterprises, Toon2Tango, Marco Pagot).

Writer

2017 - 2018
Università Cattolica, Milan

Writing of a story-based test-designing tool to be used in theory of mind to detect mentalising dysfunctions in relational contexts. In cooperation with Dr Sara Isernia, Department of Psychology.

Teaching Assistant

2017 - present
Università Cattolica, Milan

Teaching, tutoring, or assisting with examinations for the following courses:

  • Semiotics
  • History and Industry of International Cinema
  • International Screenwriting and Production
  • Writing and Producing for Animation
  • Laboratorio di Letteratura, Cinema e TV per Ragazzi (design and delivery)
  • English Drama on Stage and on Screen (workshop) (design and delivery)

Writer

December 2019 - January 2020
Red Monk Studio, Milan

With Rigotz. Contributing to the writing of the pitch bible for a preschool animated project.

Screenwriter

2018 - 2019
Atlantyca Entertainment S.p.A., Milan

With Rigotz. Writing episodes for the animated series:

  • BatPat 2 (Atlantyca Entertainment,Imira Entertainment, Mondo TV, Rai Fiction, TVE)
  • Berry Bees (Atlantyca Entertainment, SRL Productions, Telegael, Cosmos-Maya Production)

Writer

2016 - 2017
Edizioni San Paolo S.r.l., Milan

Writing of the biographical book MP3. Sulle ruote me la rido entailed a series of interviews and brief cohabitation with the co-author Matteo Premi, a talented youth with spastic tetraparesis. Special mention at the “Angelo Zanibelli” Award (2018).

Screenwriter

2014 - 2015
Calon TV, Cardiff

Writing of episodes for the animated series:

  • Julio Bunny (Zodiak Active, Rai Fiction, Agogo Entertainment, Erazero, Night Flight)
  • Inui (JEP-Animation, Les Films de la Perrine, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises)
  • YoYo (Showlab, Rai Fiction, Telegael, Grid Animation)

The work involved following the production beyond screenwriting, under the supervision of CEO Robin Lyons and screenwriter Andrew Offiler.

Publications

This list incudes books, articles, book chapters, papers in conferences, and fiction.

  • Writing for 'The Sound Collector': A Screenwriter's Perspective on Children's Animation
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Screenwriting Research Network, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2024
  • Once Upon a Time in Japan: 'Ponyo' and the Ecological Fairytale
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini, Ilenia Provenzi
    Comunicazioni sociali, n. 3, 2023, pp. 292-305
  • World Classics Made in Japan: How Anime Reframed Children's Literature
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    AAS Annual Conference, University of Birmingham, 2023
  • Inclusivity in Anime and Manga: Adapting Disability
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    accepted for the AAS Annual Conference, University of Lisbon, 2022
  • Once Upon a Time in Japan: 'Ponyo' and the Ecological Fairytale
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini, Ilenia Provenzi
    Screenwriting Research Network, University of Vienna, 2022
  • Scrivere bambini, scrivere per bambini
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Fumagalli, A., Albani, C., Braga, P. (eds.), Storia delle serie tv. Vol. I, Dino Audino, Roma 2021
  • Le serie britanniche: dalla soap alla commedia cringe
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Fumagalli, Albani, Braga (eds.), Storia delle serie tv. Vol. II, Dino Audino, Roma 2021
  • Children's fiction and anime: The case of Shōkōjo Sēra
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Journal of Screenwriting, 12:3, 2021, pp. 287-305
  • Japanese Animation and children’s literature: the origins of the ‘meisaku’ genre
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Screenwriting Research Network, Oxford Brookes University, 2021
  • Screenwriting, adaptation and anime: the case of ‘Anne of Green Gables’
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini
    Screenwriting Research Network, Università Cattolica, Milan, 2018
  • MP3. Sulle ruote me la rido
  • Maria Chiara Oltolini, Matteo Premi
    Edizioni San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2017