3D Animation of Ancient Zadar

After six months of intensive work on three-dimensional modelling (3D), the public was finally introduced to a ten-minute animation of the appearance, architecture, urban structure and life in the Roman Iader, or ancient Zadar. The authors of this inspiring work are Stipan Ujdur from Opuzen, who made the 3D model and video animation, and Frane Bilić from Zadar who was the initiator of the making of the 3D model of ancient Zadar. 

“The model was made as authentic as possible according to the original Iader of the Antiquity”, says Ujdur, a retired accountant and self-taught 3D model maker, who has already complete projects of video animation of the Diocletian's Palace, ancient Narona in Vid near Metković, and Renaissance Dubrovnik before the 1667 earthquake. Ancient Zadar is the fourth project by Ujdur in a series of three-dimensional modelling of Dalmatian cities from different eras.

“Such animations are a useful base for making animated films, but it is not an animated film, but an animation of a 3D model. This job requires the study of old pictures and sketches, on the basis of which the final 3D reconstruction is made”, says Ujdur, whose three-dimensional ancient Iader was a really big model with many significant neighbourhoods to be processed. The 3D animation of Iader begins in front of the entrance to the city, which was encircled by spectacular walls on all sides, while on the southeast rampart there were three gates; one was used for civilian traffic, the other for traffic of goods, and the middle entrance was for various purposes. In front of the gates, there were vegetable sellers, manual workers, and cattle breeders selling their produce within the city. The amphitheatre was outside the city too, as seen in the scene where Roman citizens walk from the amphitheatre towards the city’s front gate. Decumanus Maximus was the ancient Kalelarga, in the same place where it is today.