Central Command, which depicts the interior of the robot tower and (houses the robot's brain) was created with corrugated cardboard and deli containers. Tin toy robots were arranged for reference and later replaced with robots built or modified with found objects.

With the ceiling temporarily removed, the cardboard and deli containers were painted silver.  Seymour, the “bead boy” who plays a central role in the story, is set up in front of an early version of the robot's brain, or “dream machine”, as it is called later in the story.  The background sky was airbrushed on a backdrop.

Model maker Michael Lokensgaard assembles the wiring for the lights inside Central Command. More control panels were created and styled from deli containers and small props such as a golf ball, magnet, and toy horn.

The final scene as it appears in the book. The curved glass wall in the back of the room was made from clear plastic florescent light sleeves that were cut in half and then glued together imitate the look of the ribbed exterior glass wall of the robot head (see Sky High) which was made from a plastic clear food container.

To play an online version of Dream Machine, Click Here