On Model Creation:

I’ve been sketching out this light-and-shadow lamp for quite some time. My initial inspiration came from https://makerworld.com.cn/zh/models/1335724-shadow-heart-to-female-face-guang-ying-yi-zhu-zhua#profileId-1439783, where I created a shadowy “Sharingan”–style light fixture. However, I quickly ran into the same issue with the lighting—while the effect was visually striking, it ended up being overly harsh and unappealing, so I put the project on hold. Recently, seeing that others were tackling similar designs, I decided to revisit it. After several iterations and refinements, I’ve made significant progress in mitigating the glare from the light source—but there’s still room for improvement. To truly optimize the lighting, we’ll need to refine the edge contours. I’m eager to hear your ideas and insights!

On Projection Shape:
Since this movie‑watching lamp is heavily influenced by the type of light source and its placement, if you find the projected image less than perfect, simply adjust the height of the light source component (just the vertical position) to fine‑tune the light’s angle and achieve a more balanced, aesthetically pleasing projection.

On the Light Source:

For optimal results, it’s best to use a dedicated light source with a wide beam angle. The 001 design, with its multiple LED beads, tends to create overlapping shadows—much like walking down a busy street where streetlights cast countless, fragmented shadows in all directions. To avoid this, a single, focused light source is key.

To keep costs down and make the project practical, I settled on using small recessed lights purchased from PDD—and while the results are decent, they could be much better if the light were brighter and more concentrated!

On Projection Quality:

The material used for this projector has some degree of translucency, which affects the final projection. Originally, I planned to incorporate a red model as part of the light-and-shadow effect—but the results weren’t ideal. First, light leaks from the sides (which could be addressed by thickening the model or using an opaque color/material—though I was too lazy to bother with that). Second, the fixed position of the light source on top of the model creates a noticeable “black pupil” effect, visually disrupting the overall aesthetic. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of technical skill—but with the right light source, this issue can easily be resolved.

That’s all for now!