Intelligent Assistance has released Matchback Magic (http://assistedediting.com/MatchbackMagic/), software that adds matchback information to Final Cut Pro media files to make them very robust through many postproduction workflows, according to Intelligent Assistance CEO Philip Hodgetts.

“With Matchback Magic it doesn’t matter if an editor or assistant renames clips or file names, or even if they lose reel name or Timecode reference," he says. "The conform to master media will still happen correctly.”

Matchback Magic adds metadata into the media file that's carried with the file, regardless of what happens inside Final Cut Pro or to the file. At the end of the editorial process, Matchback Magic extracts that information and provides either a fully conformed (to the original high quality media) Final Cut Pro Sequence, or an ALE file for conforming a Cinema Tools database, or even an Excel spreadsheet for manual conforming.

The Matchback Magic demonstration version, freely downloadable, includes the capability to protect media. Should postproduction proceed smoothly, there’s no need to ever buy the software, while the option is there if the worst case scenario should ever happen, Hodgetts says. Matchback Magic is faster and simpler than using Final Cut Pro’s Media Manager for these workflows, he adds.

Matchback Magic normally has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$495. However, an introductory special reduces that to $395 until May 31.