diff --git a/services/worker/src/workers/conform.js b/services/worker/src/workers/conform.js
index 661de4d..7de74b1 100644
--- a/services/worker/src/workers/conform.js
+++ b/services/worker/src/workers/conform.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { join } from 'path';
-import { unlink, writeFile, readFile } from 'fs/promises';
+import { unlink, writeFile, mkdir } from 'fs/promises';
 import { tmpdir } from 'os';
 import { query } from '../db/client.js';
 import { downloadFromS3, uploadToS3 } from '../s3/client.js';
@@ -11,36 +11,35 @@ const S3_BUCKET = process.env.S3_BUCKET || 'wild-dragon';
 export const conformWorker = async (job) => {
   const { jobId, edl, projectId, outputFormat } = job.data;
 
-  const tmpDir = tmpdir();
-  const edlPath = join(tmpDir, `edl-${job.id}.edl`);
-  const segmentsDir = join(tmpDir, `segments-${job.id}`);
+  const tmpDir          = tmpdir();
+  const edlPath         = join(tmpDir, `edl-${job.id}.edl`);
+  const segmentsDir     = join(tmpDir, `segments-${job.id}`);
   const segmentListPath = join(tmpDir, `segments-${job.id}.txt`);
-  const outputPath = join(tmpDir, `output-${job.id}.${outputFormat || 'mov'}`);
+  const outputPath      = join(tmpDir, `output-${job.id}.${outputFormat || 'mov'}`);
 
   try {
     // Write EDL to temp file
     await writeFile(edlPath, edl, 'utf-8');
 
     // Parse EDL
-    job.updateProgress(5);
+    await job.updateProgress(5);
     console.log(`[conform] Parsing EDL for job ${jobId}`);
     const edits = parseEDL(edl);
 
-    // Create segments directory
-    await writeFile(segmentsDir, '');
+    // Create temp directory for segment files
+    await mkdir(segmentsDir, { recursive: true });
 
-    // Process each edit
     let processedEdits = 0;
-    const concatList = [];
+    const concatList   = [];
 
     for (const edit of edits) {
-      job.updateProgress(Math.min(5 + (processedEdits / edits.length) * 50, 55));
+      await job.updateProgress(Math.min(5 + (processedEdits / edits.length) * 50, 55));
 
       console.log(`[conform] Processing edit ${edit.editNumber}: ${edit.reelName}`);
 
-      // Look up asset by reel name
+      // Look up asset by filename (the reel name in the EDL matches the clip filename)
       const assetRes = await query(
-        'SELECT id, original_s3_key FROM assets WHERE original_filename = $1 LIMIT 1',
+        'SELECT id, original_s3_key FROM assets WHERE filename = $1 LIMIT 1',
         [edit.reelName]
       );
 
@@ -49,78 +48,67 @@ export const conformWorker = async (job) => {
       }
 
       const { id: assetId, original_s3_key: sourceKey } = assetRes.rows[0];
-      const segmentInputPath = join(tmpDir, `segment-${edit.editNumber}-input`);
-      const segmentOutputPath = join(tmpDir, `segment-${edit.editNumber}.mov`);
+      const segmentInputPath  = join(segmentsDir, `segment-${edit.editNumber}-src`);
+      const segmentOutputPath = join(segmentsDir, `segment-${edit.editNumber}.mov`);
 
-      // Download source from S3
-      console.log(`[conform] Downloading segment ${edit.editNumber} from S3`);
+      // Download source clip from S3
+      console.log(`[conform] Downloading segment ${edit.editNumber} from S3 (${sourceKey})`);
       await downloadFromS3(S3_BUCKET, sourceKey, segmentInputPath);
 
-      // Trim segment
-      console.log(`[conform] Trimming segment ${edit.editNumber}: ${edit.sourceIn} -> ${edit.sourceOut}`);
-      await trimSegment(
-        segmentInputPath,
-        segmentOutputPath,
-        edit.sourceIn,
-        edit.sourceOut
-      );
+      // Trim to EDL in/out points
+      console.log(`[conform] Trimming ${edit.editNumber}: ${edit.sourceIn} → ${edit.sourceOut}`);
+      await trimSegment(segmentInputPath, segmentOutputPath, edit.sourceIn, edit.sourceOut);
 
       concatList.push(segmentOutputPath);
 
-      // Cleanup input
+      // Remove the (large) source download immediately to conserve disk
       await unlink(segmentInputPath).catch(() => {});
 
       processedEdits++;
     }
 
-    // Create concat file
-    job.updateProgress(60);
-    console.log(`[conform] Creating concat list for ${concatList.length} segments`);
-    const concatContent = concatList
-      .map(path => `file '${path}'`)
-      .join('\n');
+    // Write ffmpeg concat file
+    await job.updateProgress(60);
+    console.log(`[conform] Writing concat list for ${concatList.length} segments`);
+    const concatContent = concatList.map(p => `file '${p}'`).join('\n');
     await writeFile(segmentListPath, concatContent, 'utf-8');
 
-    // Concatenate all segments
-    job.updateProgress(70);
+    // Concatenate
+    await job.updateProgress(70);
     console.log(`[conform] Concatenating segments for job ${jobId}`);
     await concatSegments(segmentListPath, outputPath);
 
-    // Upload final output to S3
-    job.updateProgress(85);
+    // Upload to S3
+    await job.updateProgress(85);
     const outputKey = `jobs/${jobId}/output.${outputFormat || 'mov'}`;
-    console.log(`[conform] Uploading final output to ${outputKey}`);
+    console.log(`[conform] Uploading output to ${outputKey}`);
     await uploadToS3(S3_BUCKET, outputKey, outputPath);
 
-    // Update job record
-    job.updateProgress(95);
-    console.log(`[conform] Updating job record ${jobId}`);
+    // Mark job complete
+    await job.updateProgress(95);
     await query(
-      'UPDATE jobs SET status = $1, result = $2 WHERE id = $3',
-      ['complete', JSON.stringify({ output_key: outputKey }), jobId]
+      `UPDATE jobs SET status = 'complete', result = $1, updated_at = NOW() WHERE id = $2`,
+      [JSON.stringify({ output_key: outputKey }), jobId]
     );
 
-    job.updateProgress(100);
-    console.log(`[conform] Job ${jobId} conform complete`);
-
+    await job.updateProgress(100);
+    console.log(`[conform] Job ${jobId} complete`);
     return { jobId, outputKey };
+
   } catch (error) {
-    console.error(`[conform] Error processing job ${jobId}:`, error);
+    console.error(`[conform] Error in job ${jobId}:`, error);
     await query(
-      'UPDATE jobs SET status = $1 WHERE id = $2',
-      ['error', jobId]
+      `UPDATE jobs SET status = 'failed', error = $1, updated_at = NOW() WHERE id = $2`,
+      [error.message, jobId]
     );
     throw error;
+
   } finally {
-    // Cleanup
-    try {
-      await Promise.all([
-        unlink(edlPath).catch(() => {}),
-        unlink(segmentListPath).catch(() => {}),
-        unlink(outputPath).catch(() => {}),
-      ]);
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error(`[conform] Cleanup error for job ${job.id}:`, err);
-    }
+    // Best-effort cleanup of temp files
+    await Promise.all([
+      unlink(edlPath).catch(() => {}),
+      unlink(segmentListPath).catch(() => {}),
+      unlink(outputPath).catch(() => {}),
+    ]);
   }
 };