The Frame

Actress Judith Light has been passionate about LGBT issues for decades, which makes her a natural fit for Amazon's "Transparent"; Spotify has partnered with Genius to augment music with a feature called "Fact Track"; Contra-Tiempo is a dance company with a social conscience.

"Making a Murderer" continues to spark debate about the intersection between art, journalism, public reaction and the law; the Directors Guild Award nominees are announced; "Star Wars" opens in China, but the world's second largest movie market is a challenge for the franchise.

We pay tribute to David Bowie's life and career with Los Angeles Times critic-at-large Sasha Frere-Jones, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, poet Tracy K. Smith, singer/actress Lea DeLaria, and New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley.

In our continuing series of conversations with TV network chiefs, ABC's Paul Lee talks about how diversity has become a cornerstone for the company; the Palm Springs Film Festival is a showcase for foreign films from around the world.

Writer/director David O. Russell has completed a trifecta with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in his latest film, "Joy"; the Producers Guild and the Writers Guild have announced their award nominees, one week before the Motion Picture Academy does the same; there really is a company called Central Casting that's been casting extras for 90 years.

Sarah Silverman's career took a serious turn when she took on the lead role in "I Smile Back," and now she's getting award buzz; Phyllis Nagy worked for 18 years to adapt a Patricia Highsmith novel for the movie, "Carol"; composer and conductor Pierre Boulez had a long connection to the Ojai Music Festival.

Diane Warren's latest success is “Til It Happens to You,” which Lady Gaga performed for the documentary, “The Hunting Ground”; Coachella's headliners include Guns N' Roses and LCD Soundsystem; The Discovery Channel is scaling back on reality shows to get back to its original mission.

HBO chief Michael Lombardo joins us for an intimate chat about what he learned from "True Detective" and more; Then, 2015 was a record year at the box office, but most of the ticket sales came from just a handful of movies. Ben Fritz of the Wall Street Journal helps shed light on this trend.

We put together a special episode of The Frame, featuring interviews with George Clooney, "Empire" creator Lee Daniels, musician Jenny Lewis, actress Julianne Moore, "Transparent" creator Jill Soloway and the R&B singer Miguel.

Don Randi's memoir, "You've Heard These Hands," details his years with the L.A. studio band that played on hundreds of hits in the 1960s and '70s; Kelly Sue DeConnick revamped the "Captain Marvel" series, but her "Bitch Planet" titles are with a smaller publisher that allows her to control her work.

A new study concludes that the people who rate films for the MPAA are becoming desensitized to violence; "Fury" rolls over the weekend box office; and a "Mad Men" actor goes back in time again.

How filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez (far right) got Guillermo del Toro to produce his feature debut, "The Book of Life"; a look at Brad Pitt's WWII drama, "Fury," and other new films out today; and musician Marissa Lauren talks about opening for Lena Dunham.

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu flies high with “Birdman"; undocumented students tell their own stories on stage in “Dreaming Sin Fronteras"; and playwright Dael Orlandersmith confronts family matters in “Forever.”

HBO will launch a streaming service, but Warner Bros. studios must cut $200 million in overhead; What makes a hit song? Ask the "Song Exploder"; and California tries cultural diplomacy in China.

"The Walking Dead" debuted to big numbers — meanwhile, Nielsen's hold on the ratings business is being challenged; Foxygen releases a new album; and the Encuentro Theater Festival launches.

The networks seek Latino viewers with "Cristela" and "Jane the Virgin"; "Gone Girl" stays on top at the box office; and director David Dobkin switches genres for "The Judge."

Comedian Dan Mintz talks about his new stand-up album and his "Bob's Burgers" character, Tina; Grae Drake of Rotten Tomatoes dissects this weekend's film releases; and John Lydon, née Rotten, speaks his mind.

Move over Sundance — the L.A. neighborhood adds an independent film festival; The band OK Go on the new album, “Hungry Ghost”; and Joan Baez adapts to her changing voice.

29-year-old writer/director Damien Chazelle (in red shirt) makes his feature film debut with "Whiplash"; Deaf West Theatre hits it big with the 2006 Tony Award winner; and Slate's popular podcast comes to L.A. for a live stage show.

"The Judge" is the first release from Robert and Susan Downey's new production company; PBS' "Makers" series looks at women in the entertainment business; Common Sense Media lends its imprimatur to film studios; and a life in photos with Led Zep's guitarist.

Visual effects artists prepare for the day when virtual reality is a filmmaking reality; a low-budget horror film rakes in the bucks; touring tips from Belle & Sebastian's singer.

Director John Leonetti joins us to talk about 'Annabelle,' the prequel to the wildly successful "The Conjuring"; we visit the unlikely cultural hub of Marfa, Texas for its annual music festival; and Nicolas Cage takes a dubious step into the rapture film genre.