Episode #8
Go for Donny! Audio Podcast with Mark Stepp | Season 2
Emmy Award-winning director and editor Mark Stepp joins Donny for a behind-the-scenes conversation about a career built on creativity, collaboration and managing controlled chaos. Mark takes us inside the making of Top Gear USA, sharing stories about hosts Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara, along with the talented production team responsible for the show’s distinctive look and ambitious automotive challenges. He recalls meeting director of photography Dan DeCastro, who came from Top Gear UK and was known to the crew as “Peacock.” Because some people called him Dan while others called him Peacock, Mark initially believed they were two different crew members. Mark and Donny also revisit memorable Top Gear USA productions, including Unkillable Cars, the tractor challenge, the Lexus LFA, filming donuts on Las Vegas Boulevard and the challenges of capturing large-scale automotive action safely and cinematically. The conversation travels beyond Top Gear USA as Mark discusses directing live television, working in Japan, visiting Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and discovering that visitors can book a Ferrari track experience if they plan far enough ahead. Mark also shares his approach to leadership and explains why every person on a production matters. From the director and department heads to the production assistants, the entire crew must work together for a production to succeed. This episode is packed with production stories, automotive adventures and valuable lessons about leadership, preparation and respecting the people beside you. Watch Go for Donny! and more behind-the-scenes conversations on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gofordonny Follow and subscribe to Go for Donny! wherever you listen to podcasts. Topics include: Mark Stepp, Top Gear USA, Dan DeCastro, Top Gear UK, Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood, Adam Ferrara, automotive television, live television directing, television production, car stunts, Lexus LFA, Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari experiences and production leadership.
