Pretty much. Los Angeles is D E A D.So I will have to guess that the answer is yes to the first question and yes to the second.
To answer your question (OP).
Learn:
How to be a machinest, or a 3D artist, a painter, a model builder, a set fabricator, an electrician,
and Build examples of your work for each.
Could you speicalize in one? sure. But you need to be comfortable in each of you want to be competitive.