The Frame

Writer/director John Ridley (far right, with actor Timothy Hutton) talks about his edgy new TV series, “American Crime"; We crash a viewing party for the breakout TV hit, “Empire"; Musician and attorney Joe Escalante on the fallout from the “Blurred Lines” verdict.

A jury ruled that Robin Thicke (pictured) and Pharrell Williams violated the copyright to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up"; an assistant director on the film "Midnight Rider" was found guilty of charges relating to the death of a camera assistant; producer David Shore revived a TV project created a dozen years ago by Vince Gilligan, before his "Breaking Bad" success.

"Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges resulting from the death of a crew member on the set; Clint Eastwood talks about "American Sniper" (pictured) becoming the biggest-grossing film released in 2014; actress Gillian Jacobs has added director to her resumé with a documentary about computer pioneer Grace Hopper.

A fan laments that legendary radio DJ Art Laboe (pictured) can't be heard in L.A., at least for now; Robert Christgau, the Dean of American Rock Critics, has a memoir covering his 40-plus years on the music beat; Claire Keane is a third-generation artist who left a cushy job to write and illustrate children's books.

The trial for the lawsuit brought by Marvin Gaye's children against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams is nearing an end; how "Dead Man Walking" was transformed from a movie to an opera (pictured); comedian Wayne Federman rounds up his hilarious friends to host a film festival where they chose the lineup; comic book writer Scott Snyder put his anxieties into his version of "Batman."

Ed Piskor’s "Hip Hop Family Tree” (pictured) takes a look at the music's history in a comic book series; young comedians test their chops in roast battles; the Writer's Guild examines the lack of racial and gender diversity among TV writers.

Late night host Conan O'Brien tells us about his trip to Cuba and his thoughts on the late night TV shuffle; Vulture.com's Margaret Lyons recommends some TV shows that have an air of optimism; comic book writer Ed Brubaker goes from Captain America and Batman to a Hollywood noir graphic novel.

Will Smith's "Focus" (pictured) did middling business in its opening weekend, so where does this leave his career?; filmmaker Ed Burns on the highs and lows of his career since bursting on the scene with "The Brothers McMullen" in 1995; Valiant Entertainment has a simple goal: make comic books like they used to be made.

Leonard Nimoy (pictured) died today. We discuss his artistic journey as an actor, writer and photographer; the copyright trial pitting Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. against Marvin Gaye's children is underway; Will Forte is "The Last Man on Earth," a new Fox comedy.

Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane (pictured) wrote "The Ambassador," a song cycle inspired by architectural landmarks around L.A.; Yann Demange's new film is set amidst the violent Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles; a new study concludes that watching even just one film can change minds about a topic as charged as politics.

Julius Onah directed the movie about a former child soldier in Africa who seems to fully adapt to his new life in America; how and why YouTube became the world's most popular music streaming site; a new documentary tells the story of the Bay Area's thrash metal scene.

Writers and comedians Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin talk about their new IFC series that's a fake documentary about a fake "Soul Train"-like music show; N.Y. Times co-theater critic Jesse Green on the legacy of Broadway legend Harold Prince, who died at the age of 91.

Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine get a writing nomination for their comedy series set in middle school; Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg News on musicians seeking representation in Washington; Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera talk about their film, "The Infiltrators," which tells the true story of two undocumented immigrants who go inside America’s for-profit, immigrant detention system.

Inara George and Greg Kurstin previously released an album of Hall & Oates covers, and now they've turned to songs made famous by Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth; is there a rift in the Writers Guild leadership?; do faith-based movies need film critics?

How Quentin Tarantino and his team recreated 1969 Hollywood. Director Gigi Saul Guererro tells an immigration story as a horror film and the Alamo Drafthouse (finally) opens in DTLA. All that plus documentaries about Mike Wallace and Cambridge Analytica. Plus, we remember New Orleans music legends.

Veteran cinematographer Robert Richardson talks about shooting "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood"; the documentary "For Sama" is an unflinching look at the war in Syria; Michael McDonald on being the ultimate backup singer.

The Texas-based theater chain has been working on a complex here for six years and the owners are hoping audiences will connect with the in-seat food service and bar; film festival season is upon us; re-creating the streets of L.A. circa 1969 for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

The documentary by Ari Belkin examines the life and career of the famed journalist; Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter previews Television Critics Association press tour; the indie video game market.

Writer and director Pippa Bianco talks about her first feature film, which was adapted from her 2015 short; why are artists pulling their work from the Whitney Biennial?; the host of the "Mueller, She Wrote" podcast preps for the big day.

Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim co-directed the documentary about the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook controversy; all the news from Comic-Con; Rodrigo y Gabriel have guitars, will travel.

Marc Maron shines in a new improvised film from Lynn Shelton. Linda Ronstadt gets celebrated for a life in music. David Crosby makes a mea culpa documentary with Cameron Crowe and "Apollo 11" reveals a hidden side to the moon landing.

We mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing by revisiting our interviews with "First Man" director Damien Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer, and with the film's sound editors, Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan, who were nominated for an Academy Award; Todd Douglas Miller, director of the groundbreaking documentary, "Apollo 11."