The Frame

Alison Bechdel says she thought the idea of having her graphic novel memoir turned into a musical was "insane"; composer John Adams says his landmark opera, "Nixon in China," is as timely as ever; NBC has invested $500 million in Snapchat with big plans for using the social media platform.

Bruna Papandrea has produced hit films such as "Wild" and "Gone Girl," and now she's part of the team behind HBO's "Big Little Lies"; Netflix has a new reality competition series that's being produced for six global markets simultaneously.

C-SPAN anchor Steve Scully (aka "the most patient man on television") talks with The Frame about C-SPAN's origin story, its mission and the role it fills in today's media landscape; Then, actress Jane Kaczmarek explains why she's spending her post "Malcolm In the Middle" years doing theater like Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night."

When Asghar Farhadi won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, he did not pick up his statue in person. But he was in L.A. last year following our election and he spoke with us about his movie, "The Salesman," and then-President elect Trump; R&B producer and musician Raphael Saadiq has branched out to scoring movies and TV shows.

Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black created the ABC miniseries, "When We Rise," to bring the history of the gay rights movement into America's living rooms in the hopes of bridging a divided nation and inspiring activism in a new generation; The Oscars are finally over. What must Hollywood do to become more inclusive?

On this year's Frame Oscar preview, get to know some nominees ahead of the big night. Among the guests are the writer/directors of "La La Land" and "Moonlight," actors Ruth Negga, Emma Stone, Dev Patel, and Andrew Garfield; Documentary filmmakers Ava Duvernay and Ezra Edelman; the screenwriters for "Hidden Figures" and "The Lobster," and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. Plus, John Horn and his co-host in The Awards Show Show podcast, Kyle Buchanan, make predictions.

Comedian and art collector Cheech Marin walks the galleries of Frank Romero's retrospective with the artist himself; "Hacksaw Ridge" sound mixer Kevin O'Connell has 21 Oscar nominations but no win ... yet; political and topical ads are likely during the Academy Awards. Who's advertising and how are they hoping to benefit?

Melanie Lynskey felt a deep connection with her character in the Sundance hit, "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore"; a federal judge issues an injunction against a law that prevented websites such as IMDb from publishing the birthdate of actors.

Jordan Peele (of "Key & Peele" fame) makes his film directing debut with the horror movie, “Get Out," which takes on racism in the creepiest fashion; John Horn debates how to improve the Academy Awards broadcast with his "Awards Show Show" podcast co-host, Kyle Buchanan, and TV mavens Alex Jung and Jen Chaney.

The Oscar-nominated movie "Lion" is based on the memoir of Saroo Brierly, whose unbelievable life story was turned into a two-hour film by screenwriter Luke Davies; an annual report on diversity in Hollywood makes a strong case that on-camera diversity is directly linked to box office and ratings success; the WGA honored the screenwriters of "Moonlight" and "Arrival."

Taking the train to Comic-Con (pictured) means avoiding traffic and mingling with fans, comic book artists and even studio execs; The Hero Initiative is a charity that helps pioneer comic book artists who didn't have salaries or benefits; “10,000 Km," a film by Carlos Marques-Marcet, is about negotiating a long-distance relationship.

Alison Faulk worked with Channing Tatum to design the sexy dance moves in “Magic Mike XXL” (pictured); Nerdstrong Gym is where pop culture geeks are changing the image of flabby, couch-bound obsessives; Paramount Pictures and Hulu make the latest moves in the streaming world.

Comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick previews Comic-Con; "Cartel Land" director Matthew Heineman embedded himself with vigilante groups to document their fight against drug cartels in Mexico and Arizona (pictured); composer J. Ralph on writing music for "Shark Week"

Leon Russell (pictured) was unhappy with a documentary he financed in the early '70s. The film by Les Blank is finally getting released; the Getty Conservation Institute is preserving original animation cels from classic Disney movies; the music industry has agreed to move the release day for new music from Tuesdays to Fridays.

“Orange is the New Black” actress Lea DeLaria (pictured) has a jazzy side career; The Grateful Dead play three final shows in Chicago this weekend to overwhelming demand; a classical music composer takes inspiration from California’s drought; Amy Winehouse’s record producer on the new documentary about the late singer.

Fox's big bet on the women's World Cup is paying off with record-setting ratings; when a new dinosaur was created for "Jurassic World" (pictured), the film's sound designers had to come up with new terrifying sounds; on "Song Exploder," Bono dissects U2's "Cedarwood Road"

The international terminal at the L.A. airport has debuted three permanent art installations, including one by Mark Bradford (pictured); Apple Music's streaming service debuted today without the Beatles, but with Taylor Swift.

After Donald Trump's controversial comments about Mexicans, NBC is dumping the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants (pictured); the 30th anniversary of "Back to the Future" is being marked with a screening and live orchestral performance; comedian and actress Julie Brister says she's tired of being seen as fat first and as a performer second.

The brilliant but troubled singer and pianist Nina Simone (pictured) is the subject of a new documentary, "What Happened, Miss Simone?"; after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage, we examine whether TV has swayed American attitudes on the matter.

Jazz saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington (pictured) is adding a new chapter to L.A.'s storied jazz history with his 3-disc album, "The Epic"; veteran TV director Lesli Linka Glatter's career has ranged from "Twin Peaks" to her current show, "Homeland."

Writer and performer Tim Minchin talks about creating songs for the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Matilda" (pictured); director Patricia Riggen recalls working with composer James Horner on one of his last films, "The 33"; songs by the '70s gay, glam rock act, Smokey, have been re-issued.

The stage musical "Recorded in Hollywood" (pictured) tells the story of John Dolphin and his landmark record stores in Los Angeles; a song from the solo album by Will Butler (Arcade Fire) is taken apart in a new installment of Song Exploder.