Among the Academy Award nominees announced last week was composer Hans Zimmer who wrote the score for Christopher Nolan’s space epic, "Interstellar."

No stranger to the Oscars, Zimmer has been nominated eight times for Best Score in a Motion Picture, but he's only won once. That was 20 years ago for "The Lion King." "Interstellar" is Zimmer's 9th Oscar nomination.

In recent years, Zimmer has worked regularly with Nolan — scoring "The Dark Knight" trilogy and "Inception." For "Interstellar," Zimmer insisted on recording in London’s Temple Church because it houses a massive pipe organ that is the centerpiece to the score.

The Frame producer Michelle Lanz recently visited with Zimmer in his Santa Monica studio to talk about how he found the film's theme, how he and Nolan work together, and why Hollywood is crucial for new orchestral music.