Commanding Digital Workflow - that's INOVATIV

By Marcus Swales | Technical Product Specialist, Holdan

Are you tired of juggling multiple accessories and struggling with your digital workflow on set?
Look no further than the INOVATIV AXIS Command Station, a mobile workstation that's a combination of the most valued AXIS products that can make your workflow more efficient. In this blog, we'll dive into the practical features of the INOVATIV AXIS Command Station that can revolutionise your workflow. It’s worth mentioning the Command Station is the full-fat version of the INOVATIV AXIS which comes in many different variants to suit your workflow.

About INOVATIV

First, let’s discuss INOVATIV as a company. Founded in 2010 by Patrick Blewett, the owner of Ambient digital at the time. Ambient Digital started in 2005 and ‘provided on-set digital capture technicians and professional digital camera and computer packages to professional photographers who were transitioning into the digital era.’ Whilst working on set Patrick noticed that despite technology quickly moving forward the production carts housing it all were not. The current carts were nowhere near adequate nor keeping up with the digital world, this is where INOVATIV was born. Patrick Blewett continued to work on set whilst building INOVATIV and in 2013 after securing funding he moved the company to Irwindale, Los Angeles where he and legendary fabricator Brent Foes began to focus all their efforts on making INOVATIV the company it is today. INOVATIV was founded by designing a unique solution to a modern problem, making their production carts a staple for many. With easily customisable options and hard-wearing materials, INOVATIV is leading the way when it comes to production carts. Before creating anything INOVATIV asks, “What do I need to make my workflow more efficient?’ and as soon as you get hands-on with any of their products you can see they have answered this question.

AXIS Command Station

So, now you know where it all started, let's discuss the AXIS Command Station and its array of workflow-improving accessories. First up is the AXIS WorkSurface Pro with locking drawer. The WorkSurface Pro features a 3-digit combination lock on the drawer for secure storage of valuables, such as laptops. The self-closing drawer slides reduce slamming, while the black outdoor marine carpet on top is highly durable, waterproof, anti-slip, and stain resistant to suit all environments. The WorkSurface Pro is highly flexible, offering the choice of rotating it up to 360 degrees around the stand to suit your setup, as well as a pass-through cable management hole, handles, and height adjustability. You really can customise this one item to any configuration you need. The surface has edges on all three sides, apart from the front, for ease of use with a laptop or keyboard and mouse when on set. All these features make the WorkSurface Pro a must-have accessory for the AXIS stand.

Next is the case platform, which also includes a drawer for even more storage. The platform is height adjustable and can be rotated just like the WorkSurface Pro, but the case platform is focused on supporting traditional Pelican-style cases. Due to this, the platform has tie-down anchors to provide security when moving the AXIS Stand. An additional accessory to add to the case platform is the 1535 DigiCase Pro. This collaboration hard case between Pelican and INOVATIV is a waterproof flight ready, carry-on approved, rugged photographic workstation. Pairing this case with the Digiplate pro that allows you to attach most sized laptops and store accessories safely, and offers the ability to travel to multiple locations without having to dismantle your entire setup.

Following suit with ease of use is the AXIS Dual Bar which gives the ability to easily mount two monitors. The Dual Bar has a total of 18 threaded holes providing multiple mounting positions for your monitors using the two baby pins provided. The AXIS Dual Bar can roughly hold up to 36KG, which is more than suitable for most two-monitor setups. The brilliant part of this setup is that the Command Station can accommodate multiple users with different working height requirements both on location and in a studio setting. Simply adjust your surfaces and monitors to your preferred positions with the toolless design and you’re set to go. It’s also worth mentioning that the simple mostly tool-less design and VDrop accessories of the INOVATIV AXIS configurations mean it can be easily assembled and taken apart by one person and transported from one location to another thanks to its portable design.

In addition to the accessories, the AXIS wheels are made to withstand rough grounds, gravel, and most outdoor terrains, while also being able to easily roll over electrical cords when being used in the studio. The wheels are equipped with powerful manual foot brakes and rubber stoppers that, when screwed down, lock the wheels into a fixed non-swivelling position. The square tubing legs are designed to offset the centre of gravity, leaving nothing to chance when you have expensive heavy equipment on the AXIS.

The AXIS range has an option to suit most needs, from a solo photographer in a studio to outdoor location work and larger e-commerce production teams. With the ability to mix and match the easily mounted accessories, you can create a setup that truly works within your personal workflow. If the AXIS doesn’t quite suit what you require INOVATIV also offers a range of production and travel carts such as the Voyager’s and Apollo’s which like the AXIS are easily assembled and packed down whilst also having an array of available accessories to customise the carts to your needs.