A video abstract is the motion picture equivalent of a written abstract. Usually not longer than 5 minutes, video abstracts help the viewer to get a quick overview on a scholarly paper, research article, thesis or review: and to quickly ascertain the purpose and results of a given research. They are not intended to replace the original research paper, rather to help draw attention to it, increasing its readership. The main difference between a video abstract and a short science video of any kind is that the former is associated with a scientific paper that has been accepted and published. Purpose and limitations Video abstracts represent a new genre in science-communication. They can be defined as “peer-to-peer video summaries, three to five minutes long versions of academic papers” [Berkowitz, 2013] that “describe dynamic phenomena which are simply too complicated, too complex, too unusual, too full of information to do in words and two-dimensional pictures” [Whitesides, 2011]. Video abstracts provide a great deal of help to communicate “the background of a study, methods used, study results and potential implications through the use of images, audio, video clips, and texts” [Spicer, 2014]. Video abstracts seem to have a significant positive effect on the popularity and citation of the scientific paper they are associated with. According to a 2014 study, approximately 5% of the publications were supplied with video abstract, but in case of the most read publications, the proportion was significantly higher, between 25-30 %. Video abstract types The use and significance of video abstracts are continually increasing especially on the field of natural sciences and engineering, due to the complexity of modern research in these areas and the need of a precise visualization of temporal components by using techniques such as zooming or stretching. In most cases video abstracts are produced by scientists themselves, on a low budget and in a relatively short period of time. To visualize their subjects, video abstract creators can choose from a wide variety of options: from simple whiteboard drawings, to screen-recordings, slide-shows and talking heads, the list is practically endless. Video abstracts show a great diversity not only in visuals-, but in their audience as well. Some videos are targeted to academic circles - they use a lot of scientific terms -, while others present for a wider audience, even to the general public. For scientists about to create video abstracts without any background in