The behavior of thin films in the PLZT system made using a recently developed metal acetate precursor technique was investigated with respect to microstructural and crystallographic development. Variations in film microstructure and phase continuity were dependent on substrate and film composition. The optical quality of Zr rich films deposited onto sapphire substrates was impaired by the formation of a pyrochlore phase leading to a discontinuous microstructure. Application of a PLT buffer layer was shown to significantly modify this situation, improving the potential viability of this fabrication method.