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.

The legendary R&B singer has a new album and an HBO documentary coming up, but don't expect this to be her swan song; a film about Nat Turner's slave rebellion has set a sales record at the Sundance Film Festival; actresses Alysia Reiner and Sarah Megan Thomas launched Broad Street to counter gender inequity in Hollywood.

With the top award from the Producers Guild, "The Big Short" is now frontrunner for the best picture Oscar. We chat with producers Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner; a Motion Picture Academy officer admits that the organization has been too slow to change; the band Foals has gone from playing house parties to arenas.

Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale has re-imagined an album from his long solo career, "Music For a New Society"; as the "X-Files" returns, we get the story behind its iconic theme music; even at the Sundance Film Festival, the talk of the town is #OscarsSoWhite.

Actor Matthew Spencer, who plays the lead in a new adaptation of George Orwell's dystopian novel, says the story has new resonance today; TV networks are casting doubt about the popularity of original programming on streaming services; Andrew Ahn passed up med school for a film career, and now his directing debut is at Sundance.

Carrie Brownstein, "Portlandia" co-creator and Sleater-Kinney co-founder, pulls back the curtain on her creative process; members of the U.K. punk band Savages reveal how they remain unpredictable on stage and in the recording studio; what's in store at this year's Sundance Film Festival?

In the two years since Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for "12 Years a Slave," no actor of color has been nominated for an Academy Award. Academy member Stephanie Allain says the Oscars reflect bigger problems in the industry; James Lecesne continues his advocacy for LGBTQ youth with "The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey."

Alicia Vikander's breakout year now includes an Oscar nomination for "The Danish Girl"; singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett deconstructs her song, "Depreston"; and we find out which new TV shows are on the must-watch list for the new year.

John Horn and Kyle Buchanan of Vulture.com dig into the snubs and surprises in the Oscar nominations, and the return of #OscarsSoWhite. And we hear from the directors nominated for "Room" and "The Revenant."

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.