Reflections

One of the Cyclia images reused for Reflections

Jim's Red Book "Cyclia" Kaleidoscope

Reflections is a 1973 pitch by Jim Henson to IBM for an experimental film. The tele-film would have re-purposed much of the footage Henson had created for Cataclyms, the film to be shown at the unrealized Cyclia nightclub.

“Jim's 1973 pitch for "Reflections" described it as, "...an hour of visual poetry. It is an affirmation of our sense of wonder." Starting with a sunrise, the voiceover would speak, "...of the beauty of nature," and encourage viewers to reconnect with their natural surroundings as "...a source of fulfillment and inspiration." In a format similar to Youth 68, various "thoughtful" people would give their personal observations throughout the program and photography of water and reflections would be a recurring motif. Music would, "...flow and blend the whole hour together into a composition." Overall, Jim wanted to express his appreciation for the natural world and reawaken the audience to its beauty. While a project like this would no doubt play well in an art museum or as part of a festival, it is hard to imagine modern television audiences having the attention span to sit through an hour-long program like "Reflections" without changing the channel. IBM passed, and instead of making a dedicated special, Jim went on to infuse his later work with many of these themes.”
—Jim Henson's Red Book