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.

Hear from a wide range of nominees including David Byrne (alternative album); Linda Perry (producer of the year); H.E.R. (album of the year, best new artist); Yuja Wang (classical solo performance); Janelle Monáe (album of the year); Mary Gauthier (folk album); Mark Ronson (song of the year); Boz Scaggs (contemporary blues album); and Max Baca of Los Texmaniacs (regional Mexican album)

Nadine Labaki directed Lebanon's entry to the Academy Awards, which tells the heartbreaking story of a 12-year-old boy who just wants a future; Spotify makes a big podcast play by purchasing Gimlet Media; singer/songwriter Bhi Bhiman's new album, "Peace of Mind," is released song-by-song as a podcast.

Filmmaker Joe Berlinger talks about his current docu-series and his coming feature film about the serial killer; how is Hollywood lining up behind Democratic presidential candidates?; Kurt Farquhar went from being homeless to becoming a prolific composer for TV shows.

Ganatra talks about the film she directed, which was written by Kaling and was a big hit at Sundance; the latest study from USC's Inclusion Initiative has some distressing news about women in the music industry; the search to replace a legendary drummer and professor at a prominent music program.

The actor immersed himself in the painter's life for "At Eternity's Gate"; what is, and isn't coming to your TV in the coming months; actor Bill Pullman on what it takes to play the president.

The rock/folk music veteran recounts his life and career in the documentary, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"; Domee Shi's "Bao" has an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short.

Comedian Abby McEnany is at the festival debuting her TV pilot, in which she co-stars with Julia Sweeney; John Horn reports from Sundance on the festival's final weekend; Lynell George reviews the new project by musician Anthony Wilson that combines his songs and photography.

The director becomes the rare woman to helm an action thriller; GLAAD puts the spotlight on LGBTQ-inclusive film scripts; the documentary "Of Fathers and Sons" is nominated for an Academy Award.

The singer/songwriters put their talents together for the album, “Better Oblivion Community Center”; an artificial intelligence company has an algorithm that writes movie scripts; cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Matthew Libatique ("A Star Is Born").

Rachel Lears on her documentary about a quartet of progressive women who ran for Congress, "Knock Down the House"; L.A. Times reporter Jen Yamato recaps her time at Sundance; Richard Ladkani's documentary, "Sea of Shadows," is about the tragic and illegal harvesting of fish in Mexico's Sea of Cortez.

The actor re-teams with writer/director Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler") for a horror film set in L.A.'s contemporary art world; film critic Claudia Puig assesses the first few days of Sundance; Alexandre O. Philippe, writer/director of the documentary, “Memory: The Origins of Alien.”

John Horn and a couple of producers are at the Sundance Film Festival where they will provide a daily recap of which films are getting the most buzz; also today: the director of "Untouchable," a documentary about Harvey Weinstein that is premiering at the very festival where he once ruled the roost.