LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Every morning, David Schneiderman makes a cup of coffee, grabs his laptop, and makes a beeline to his makeshift war room.  

Then, he pulls out his phone and starts dialing. 

In 2016, Schneiderman, the co-owner of a Hollywood production company and a longtime Democratic fundraiser, was all in for Hillary Clinton. He co-hosted nine events and spent much of his own money to get Clinton elected.

Her loss was so devastating, he promised himself he would sit out the 2020 election.

“It was gut wrenching,” Scheiderman told Spectrum News 1. “I never felt that way before. It was like a death.”

When Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-president pick, Schneiderman found himself back in the game.

“Kamala has really ignited the campaign. Lit a fuse in my opinion,” he said. “Joe Biden was working on his own and when she came into the picture, it was an instant connection with them.”

Harris has always been a Hollywood favorite. During her presidential campaign last year, she scored major donations from some of entertainment’s biggest names, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

“The minute he announced her, it was wild,” Schneiderman said. “I got emails and calls, and I knew there was something special about this. Something worked with that chemistry of the two names.”

The day of the announcement, Schneiderman posted a picture of Biden and Harris on social media and his fundraiser took off. 

“I posted it and I sent my raiser on Facebook and I instantly got donations,” he said. “It was really easy.”

Donating in the days of COVID-19 is not what it used to be. Gone are the glitzy events and hobnobbing.

“It’s just not the same because everybody is working at home now,” Schneiderman said.  

"They’re on their computers all day long, Zooming and Web-exing and Google Hangouting. To tell them, ‘Oh do you want to get on a zoom with Biden?’ It’s just not as sexy, but we do what we can do.”