Brickyard VFX has named Andrew Bell as managing director of its Boston studio and promoted Amy Appleton to executive producer. Bell comes to Brickyard from MPC, where he spent more than 15 years growing the studio, most recently as a managing director of MPC Los Angeles. Appleton has been at Brickyard for 10 years, producing hundreds of high-profile projects for clients that include Frito-Lay, Progressive Insurance, Cadillac, Columbia Sportswear and Royal Caribbean.

Bell began his career in 1999 as a PA with MPC in London. He worked his way up through the company, handling production responsibilities for several years before crossing the pond in 2008 to help open the studio’s first expansion facility in Los Angeles as head of production. Bell became the managing director in 2011, a role he held until fall 2016, when he began consulting for Apple.

In addition to the management moves, Brickyard Atlantic has recently upgraded its technology infrastructure and is installing a grand roof deck with views of the downtown Boston skyline.

Brickyard maintains shops in Santa Monica, Calif., and Boston.