What does Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) mean?
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is a formal document that outlines the terms of an agreement between two or more parties, similar to a Letter of Intent but typically more detailed and closer to a binding contract. In the entertainment industry, MOAs are used in a variety of contexts — including co-production agreements between production companies, agreements between a production and a location owner, and preliminary arrangements between studios and unions during labor negotiations. An MOA signals a stronger commitment than an LOI but may still precede the final, fully executed contract.
Example:Two independent production companies signed a Memorandum of Agreement to co-produce a documentary series, outlining each company’s responsibilities, cost-sharing arrangements, and distribution rights before the full co-production contract was finalized.
Example: The production team negotiated an MOA with the property owner before beginning location filming, establishing the permitted shooting hours, exclusivity period, and compensation — with a formal location agreement to follow.
Did you know?
The term Memorandum of Agreement is sometimes used interchangeably with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), though in practice an MOA tends to imply a stronger level of commitment and is more likely to include enforceable provisions than a general MOU.
