The Frame

Veteran music producer Harvey Mason, Jr. produced dozens of songs for the animated film, "Sing"; Sandra Hüller is a standout in the likely Oscar nominee, "Toni Erdmann"; a N.Y. judge rules that pre-1972 songs don't have copyright protection.

When Dennis Lehane's novel "Live By Night" was adapted by Ben Affleck into a feature film, it was just the latest gritty, crime-filled book of his to get the movie treatment; voice actor Rob Paulsen has been going strong in the business since the early 1980s, but a recent bout with throat cancer almost derailed his career.

Gibney's documentary about cyber warfare all but predicted the hacking of the Democratic National Committee; the operator of an illegal venue says the city should not take a blanket approach to its crackdown; life as a voiceover actor (part 1).

The 2016 election has ignited Beau Willimon to action. The creator of "House of Cards" has formed the Action Group Network to embark on a new form of advocacy; singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia opens up about how moving from L.A. to a small colonial-era Virginia town gave rise to her debut album, “Medicine For Birds."

Actress Brit Marling and director Zal Batmanglij talk about their mysterious new Netflix series, "The OA"; comedian Chonda Pierce has built a huge career outside the show biz mainstream; Hollywood and the gun industry have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Mills' movie is a tribute to his mother, a unconventional woman who raised him in '70s Santa Barbara; "The Joy Luck Club," released in 1993, was supposed to usher in a new era for Asian-American storytelling in Hollywood. That hasn't been the case.

The song cycle, "Notes of a Native Song," by the duo Stew & Heidi, plays like a love letter to James Baldwin; SAG Award noms are out! Alex Jung of Vulture.com discusses the TV categories; We visit members of the L.A. theater troupe, Impro, as they rehearse their improvised holiday play that spoofs those 1960's variety shows;

Tori Amos discusses "Flicker" the song she wrote for the documentary "Audrie & Daisy," a film about sexual assault, an issue that is close to Amos' heart; Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, discusses the topics and trends of his 2016 list of the best unproduced screenplays, and screenwriter Cat Vasko shares what getting on the list has meant for her career.

Gael García Bernal discusses his most recent movies, "Neruda" and "Desierto," provoking a dynamic conversation about poetry, politics, and migration; musician Kim Gordon opens up about her life after Sonic Youth with her new band, Body/Head; with awards season in full swing, we check in with Vulture.com's Kyle Buchanan for an update on the race.

While Denis Villeneuve awaits awards news for "Arrival," he's busy editing "Bladerunner 2049"; what does it mean that Donald J. Trump will remain as executive producer on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice"?; there's a particular glass ceiling for women who work in animation.

On Today's Show:

The co-star and Emmy nominee says she isn't daunted by challenges being faced by the cast; ever seen James Corden and friends performing a musical on the streets outside CBS on Fairfax? That's the work of Emmy-nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold.

The Emmy-nominated director of "Atlanta" talks about his collaborations with Donald Glover, his love of the Coen brothers and how the show set out to accurately portray life in urban Georgia; in the documentary, "What Haunts Us," Paige Goldberg Tolmach examines multiple suicides at her prep school alma mater; director Jesse Peretz and actor Chris O'Dowd talk about their movie, "Juliet, Naked."

Sarah Paulson has a lead actress Emmy nomination for "American Horror Story: Cult" — the seventh season of the anthology series; Bing Liu's videos of his skateboarding pals turned into the intimate documentary, "Minding the Gap."

Wayne Kramer, guitarist and leader of the Detroit rock band MC5, discusses his new memoir, "The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities"; Amazon is in the running to buy Landmark Theatres.

The iconic singer has died at the age of 76. We hear from her longtime bass player, Chuck Rainey; why has a documentary about her landmark 1972 performance at a Baptist church in Los Angeles never been released?; Daphne Brooks, a professor of African American Studies and Theater Studies at Yale University on the transcendent power of Aretha's voice.

The new Hulu series unites themes and worlds that will be familiar to King's loyal fans; in a new episode of Song Exploder, singer-songwriter Neko Case dissects her song, "Last Lion of Albion"; why is TV's new "Batwoman" raising such a ruckus?

The Emmy-nominated actor talks about his role as the rapper Paper Boi on Donald Glover's offbeat series; film critic Justin Chang on the "flawed but vital milestone" that is "Crazy Rich Asians"; a look back at a landmark movie with an all-Asian cast: "The Joy Luck Club."

The actress, writer and musician has an Emmy nomination for directing an episode of "Portlandia"; John David Washington and the man he portrays, Ron Stallworth, in "BlacKkKlansman"; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.

Desiree Akhavan talks about directing and co-writing the teen coming-of-age film, "The Miseducation of Cameron Post"; Spotify cuts a deal with Samsung, the biggest smartphone maker in the world; a new wave of protest songs by Radney Foster and Gaby Moreno.

The singer revisits work from his 50 years of writing and recording music; the semi-annual TV critics press tour has ended, so what's in store for viewers this Fall?; a new campaign calls for Hollywood to place a priority on telling stories about and by transgender people.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced some surprising changes to the Oscar broadcast today, including a new category for 'popular film'; Sarah Silverman talks about her Emmy-nominated Hulu series, "I Love You, America."