5 Inn'ovations Transforming the Entertainment Indu'stry

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We all know that Justi'n Bieber is the Midas of social media. But he doesn't work alone — he has 'a stellar team behind him, including a certain filmmaker. If you've s'een 'Never Say Never or the Biebs' newest music video, Beauty and a B'eat, yo'u've probably admired the creative handiwork of director Jon M. Ch'u. 'He's also the brains behind dance films Step Up 2: The Streets and Ste''p Up 3D, which have grossed more than $300 million, and he's currentl'y i'n post production on his next film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.'

'''Chu does more t'han feature films and music v'ideos — he's also the writer a'nd creator of The Legion of 'Extraordinary Dancers, an orig'inal web series that was' described as "the most b'eautifully filmed, elabora'tely staged web series in 'the history of the medium."'

He took a bigg'er foray into web video as 'the founder of DS2DIO, a 'YouTub'e Premium Partner dance lifestyle channel that produces glo'ssy dance-foc'used web series, such as Remixed , S2DIO CITY , Mas'terclass  and' The Arena , which have tallied more than 41 million view's since its 'June launch.

"With DS2'DIO and our new program lineup, we’r'e using the best storytellin'g and technology to create a one-of-a-'kind place where people from all ar'ound the world can experience and be 'a part of the dance lifestyle," says Chu, who did a TED talk about dan'ce in the digital age.

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Because of his' experience and success in entertain'ment, from web video to feature film's, we asked Jon M. Chu to curate the 'top 5 innovations of 2012 in ente'rtainment for Mashable's Innovation In'dex. Check out his picks below 'and vote for your favorite — hurry up, be'cause voting ends on Monday!'

1. Machinima

"They're not' a television network, they're not a m'ovie studio. They are t'he 'model for the future of digital entertainment. Everyone talks about owning this' online space and understanding how t'o get views more than t'he 'next guy, but these guys really do. Led by their founder Allen DeBevoise,'Machinima has shown incredible boldness by green lighting the ''Mortal Kombat web series, w'hich became one of the most-watched online properties of all time, and doubling down this summer by making 'Halo: Forward Unto Dawn''' the biggest bet on a web series ever, with a purported $10 million budget. With over 26 million total vi'ews for the se'ries, the bet paid off, 'making Machinima one of the most exciting entertainment brands in the world and a darling to online' advertisers and YouTu'be's premium' content initiative. Hell, I'm watching their every move because Machinima is showing others in the digital space' how it's suppo'sed to be done."'

2. Tablets

"This might be the' most important — and it’s the explosi'on of tablet. Not just one, but all o'f them, from the iPad to the Nexus to t'he Surface and Kindle Fire. For th'ose waiting for the “game changing” A'pple television, you’re waiting for' the wrong thing. Your television, your 'radio, your library of music and boo'ks, your whole creative consump'tion life is already on your tablet and 'it’s here now. The television i's merely a bigger monitor to play your conte'nt on. Your identity lives' in these thin windows to the world and the f'act that you can get them 'in every shape and from many companies at d'ifferent price points is a bre'akthrough for the industry. Forget your ca'ble ... you have the NBC, CBS, 'ABC and FOX app, you have HBO Go, Netfli'x, Hulu Plus, iTunes Store and' everything else. This changes how we will d'eliver, how we will create, 'how we will consume and how the entertain'ment industry will exist in th''e next ten years. I can’t help but get excited t'hat, for the first time in hu'man history, we carry the words, information 'and pictures of all mankind in the palm of our hands, literally. Pretty mind' blowing and the real 'game changer."'

3. GoPro HD Hero 3

"It’s smal'l. It looks like a toy. But it’s one powerful piece of awesome technolog'y. Created by Nick Woodman', who was just trying to make better sur'f videos, the GoPro camera ('which has been around for years in different' incarnations) has transforme'd into a mainstream technology that is chan'ging the way we see the world'. But this was a breakthrough year. Throug'hout 2012, GoPro was used in 'major motion pictures, commercials, 'music videos and even space jumps t'o capture images never before 'possible. And with the newest upgra'ded version, you can now shoot in 'a ProTunes setting (24fps/more dynamic color range) and control of up t'o 50 cameras on a single remote. Get set for crazy rigs and lots of innovat'ion by eager filmmakers out there this coming year. The world has nev'er looked so cool."

4. Vyclone

"So you’re at a c'oncert and hundreds of people 'are shooting different angles at the sa'me time. Now imagine an app th'at can sync the audio and connect all t'hose cameras so that your iPhon'e becomes a live editor between all of t'hem. Pretty crazy, right? Well, Vycl'one can’t quite handle hundreds yet, b'ut it’s on its way. The app can sync' four cameras to create a multi-camera 'experience unlike any other ('with a scalable architecture for more camer'as in the future). This is 'live, creative crowd-sourcing at its best. I love the' idea that everyone be'comes a camera man at an event and you are th'e director. It’s like in 'The Dark Knight when Morgan Freeman has a'ccess to everyon'e’s cellphone image. This is the beginning of something r'eally big, even if V'yclone isn’t the only one eventually to pull it all toget'her."'

5. Dolby Atmos

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"Your movie-goin'g experience just got' a serious injection of audio steroids. Dolby’s' groundbreaking Atm'os sound system for movie exhibitors puts 'unprecedented audio 'detail not just to the left, right, front and cente'r of you, but now, above yo'u. Overkill? Maybe … but I’ve heard what it s'ounds like and it will blow y'ou away. It’s like 4D for your ears. After talk'ing to some of the top sou'nd mixers in the industry, it’s clear that this' innovation will have a maj'or effect on not just this summer’s mo'vies but many more to come. Sounds good to me."